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.

Juneau watch

Gov. Mike Dunleavy is proposing $10 million for the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute to spend over a three-year period.

The funding would allow ASMI to implement "a comprehensive marketing plan in the U.S. domestic market to recover lost sales and historically low ex-vessel values across all commercially harvested Alaska seafood species," a budget description says.

One goal of the marketing plan is to "counter the Marine Stewardship Council ecolabel that continues to certify Russian seafood in the global marketplace," the description says.

Juneau watch

Alaska Department of Fish and Game Commissioner Doug Vincent-Lang is scheduled to present a budget overview to the House Finance Committee at 1:30 p.m. Monday.

What would happen in a shutdown scenario?

If the Alaska Legislature can't work out a budget and the state proceeds with a partial government shutdown come July, what would happen to fisheries management?

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game addresses that question in this press release.

Seeking answers for Chinook decline

Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell's proposed fiscal year 2015 budget contains $10 million for ongoing research on Chinook salmon, returns of which have been low in recent years.

One research project involves a planned juvenile Chinook survey in the northern Bering Sea.

The Department of Fish and Game is looking to charter a trawl vessel for the survey, to be conducted next September. For more specifics, see page 5 of this invitation to bid.

Big money for the biggest of salmon

Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell says his fiscal 2014 budget proposal will include $10 million to kick off a five-year, $30 million research initiative on Chinook salmon, returns of which have been poor in recent years. More details here.

Where does fish stand in governor's budget?

Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell yesterday rolled out his proposed budget for fiscal year 2013.

Naturally, Deckboss was eager to see how the Department of Fish and Game fared in the spending plan, which has some cutbacks compared to the current budget, the governor says.

Here are a few highlights:

• The proposed Fish and Game operating budget, including all state and federal funds, is $209.3 million, a 5.1 percent increase.

• The proposed operating budget for commercial fisheries, the department's most expensive unit, is $70.5 million, a 4.4 percent increase.

• The proposed operating budget for sport fisheries is $49.7 million, a 2.7 percent increase.

• The department is slated to trim 13 full-time positions, a 1.4 percent reduction, and 46 part-time positions, a 6.1 percent cut.

• Along with his budget, the governor also proposed a bond package that includes $10 million for the city of Seward's homeport project for the Community Development Quota fleet.

You can find much more information on the Fish and Game budget here, including complete details on a number of proposed capital projects.

The Alaska Legislature opens its 2012 session on Jan. 17.

Fish and Game’s budget prospects

Gov. Sean Parnell this week released his proposed state budget for fiscal year 2011, which starts July 1, and naturally Deckboss went straight for the Department of Fish and Game section.

The department’s operating budget request is $188.6 million, counting general fund, federal and “other” dollars. That’s 4.1 percent bigger than the current budget.

The department’s biggest division, Commercial Fisheries, is penciled in for $61.7 million, up by less than 1 percent. The Sport Fish Division budget is actually down a hair to $47.5 million.

The Parnell administration also is proposing a $31.3 million capital budget for special Fish and Game projects.

The list of projects is below.

Remember, the governor merely proposes a budget. The Alaska Legislature, which starts a new session in January, ultimately holds the purse strings.

Proposed Fish and Game capital projects:

• Facilities, vessels, aircraft maintenance and upgrades, $700,000
• Crewmember fishery participation database development, $250,000
• Yukon River chum salmon aerial surveys, $200,000
• Assessment and feasibility of Pilot Station sonar, $250,000
• Endangered Species Act listed marine mammals research, $600,000
• Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund, $15 million
• Pacific Salmon Treaty Chinook fishery mitigation, $7.5 million
• Sport Fish recreational boating access, $3.1 million
• Economic Contribution of Wildlife to Alaska, $500,000
• Cooperative Resource Program, $455,000
• Statewide facility deferred maintenance projects, $2 million
• Genetic marker screening for estimating stock composition of Western Alaska salmon fisheries, $750,000