Industry group sees silver lining in sea lion ruling

Here's a press release from the Marine Conservation Alliance:

Jan. 20, 2012

MCA applauds portion of ruling in Steller sea lion case

A victory for open, transparent fishery management process

The Marine Conservation Alliance applauds a judge's ruling in the Steller sea lion lawsuit as a victory for those seeking a more open decision-making process in application of the Endangered Species Act.

In his ruling Thursday, U.S. District Judge Timothy Burgess found that the National Marine Fisheries Service violated the National Environmental Policy Act by failing to prepare an environmental impact statement and provide the public with sufficient opportunity to comment when the agency determined additional fishery closures were required to protect endangered Steller sea lions.

"Although western Aleutian Islands fisheries involved in this lawsuit begin the season with fishing restrictions in place, we are pleased that the court acknowledged that there were flaws in the NMFS process which should now be corrected," said Merrick Burden, executive director of MCA, a coalition of harvesters, processors and communities involved in Alaska groundfish and crab fisheries.

The court deferred to the technical expertise of the federal agency in finding that it had properly applied Endangered Species Act standards in its determination that some of the fisheries conducted in the Aleutian Islands region of Alaska could jeopardize the recovery of endangered Steller sea lions.

The state of Alaska and affected fishing companies initiated legal action to halt additional fishery closures because endangered Steller sea lion populations overall have been increasing and are estimated to exceed 50,000 animals in the U.S. and another 25,000 animals in Russia. The legal action challenged the scientific basis for the agency determination and the process used to make that decision.

With regard to the NEPA violation, Judge Burgess has indicated he will enter an injunction requiring NMFS to prepare an EIS in compliance with NEPA procedures, allow for public comment and provide meaningful responses to comments on the draft EIS. The court will set a deadline for that action. All parties in the case have until Feb. 8 to file further briefs to address remedies in the case.

Considerable debate remains about the cause of the population decline, including predation by killer whales and nutritional stress caused by climate change or competition for prey with fisheries.

Trawlers shrink grounds to avoid chum bycatch

The Bering Sea pollock industry might close itself out of as much as 5,000 square nautical miles of fishing grounds in an effort to reduce chum salmon bycatch.

Here's the press release.

Let's clap for this cleanup!

A Juneau-based organization, the MCA Foundation, says it removed more than 400,000 pounds of debris from Alaska beaches this year — junk like lost fishing nets and water bottles.

The foundation also hauled off the wreck of the Ocean Clipper.

Read about it here.

MCA likes Murkowski for six more years

Something here from the Murkowski campaign:

Aug. 20, 2010

Marine Conservation Alliance Endorses Lisa

ANCHORAGE — Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today announced the endorsement of the Marine Conservation Alliance.

"The Marine Conservation Alliance is pleased to endorse Sen. Murkowski's candidacy for the U.S. Senate," said David Benton, executive director of the MCA. "We very much appreciate her leadership to support the Alaska seafood industry in a manner that protects the environment, ensures sustainable harvests, and sustainable coastal communities."

Lisa welcomed and thanked the MCA for its support: "I am very proud to receive the endorsement of the Marine Conservation Alliance and its members. I fight for our state's commercial fishing industry because I understand its critical importance to our coastal communities and our economy. I look forward to continuing to represent our state's fishermen and women in the United States Senate."

The MCA is a coalition of harvesters, processors and communities in the Alaska groundfish and crab fisheries. The alliance represents approximately 70 percent of the harvesters and processors who provide seafood from the federal waters off Alaska. Commercial fishing provides over 60,000 jobs in Alaska, half of the state's exports and contributes over $5 billion in economic output to the state.

Ghost crabber going away

The derelict Ocean Clipper. MCA Foundation photo

The Marine Conservation Alliance Foundation, a Juneau-based nonprofit that's cleaning up old fishing gear and other debris off Alaska beaches, has won $1 million in federal economic stimulus money for its work.

Part of the money will go toward removing an old crab vessel, the Ocean Clipper, laid up for many years on a rocky St. Paul Island beach.

The wreck is considered a hazard to a fur seal rookery there, especially pups that might wander into the broken hull and become trapped, said MCA Executive Director David Benton.

The hope is that a salvage company — most likely Magone Marine Service out of Dutch Harbor — can pull the wreck off the beach either this fall or next spring.

"It's going to be a real challenge," said Benton, as salvors will have to work around bad weather as well as the fur seals.