Big federal salmon buy coming

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is planning to purchase up to $70 million in canned pink salmon and $30 million in canned sockeye.

Read more about it in this press release from the Alaska congressional delegation.

Hard times at the halibut commission?

The following is taken verbatim from the latest Alaska Charter Association newsletter:

Halibut Coalition Visits D.C. To Request IPHC Funds

On November 14 and November 15, 2023, representatives from the Halibut Coalition met with members of Congress to try to secure supplemental funding for the International Pacific Halibut Commission. The IPHC is currently facing an estimated shortfall of $2.43 million, which may necessitate curtailing or eliminating its survey, sampling, and stock assessment program. Lacking timely data on which to base its management decisions will probably result in the IPHC taking a more cautious, conservative approach to minimize the possibility of overfishing the resource. This could have significant adverse consequences for commercial, charter, recreational and subsistence anglers and their communities.

The Halibut Coalition contingent consisted of the following members representing their corresponding organizations:

• Linda Behnken, Alaska Longline Fishermen's Association

• Jeff Kaufmann, Central Bering Sea Fishermen's Association

• Heather McCarty, Central Bering Sea Fishermen's Association

• Brian Ritchie, Alaska Charter Association and Homer Charter Association

• Peggy Parker, Halibut Association of North America

• Bob Alverson, Fishing Vessel Owners' Association, IPHC Commissioner

They had appointments with members of Alaska's Congressional delegation including Senator Murkowski, Senator Sullivan, and Representative Peltola, as well as Senators Murray and Cantwell from Washington state, and Representatives Huffman (CA) and DelBene (WA). These members of Congress were presented with a letter, signed by representatives of an array of concerned organizations, requesting additional funding and urging State Department leadership involvement in asking for a similar contribution from Canada. The aim is to enable the IPHC to continue collecting much needed scientific data and to secure its long term ability to fulfill its mandate of managing halibut stocks in a sustainable manner.

Conservancy replies

The Wild Fish Conservancy has filed this nine-page response to the Alaska congressional delegation's amici curiae brief.

Conservancy lawyers seem to argue, among other things, that Congress could simply appropriate disaster funds if the court orders a troll fishery closure.

Congressional delegation weighs in

Alaska's congressional delegation has filed this amici curiae brief arguing against any shutdown of the Southeast Alaska salmon troll fishery.

Lawmakers propose ban on Russian seafood imports

Read the Alaska congressional delegation's letter to the president.

You knew this was coming

The Alaska congressional delegation is asking federal regulators to partially delay the 2013 implementation of the expanded fishery observer program.

The request is entirely predictable and expected.

For many years, large trawlers and other fishing vessels operating off Alaska have carried observers — typically, young biologists — to record what is caught where.

The data they gather is critical for proper management of the fisheries.

Come the new year, the program is expanding. It means hundreds of smaller boats, such as longliners targeting halibut and sablefish, will have to carry an observer on at least some of their fishing trips.

Now that implementation is upon us, we're getting an outcry — and politicians jumping in as they often do when new federal regulations come down.

Organizations such as the Sitka-based Alaska Longline Fishermen's Association have raised a litany of reasons why the expanded observer program will unnecessarily burden the operators of smaller vessels.

A press release on U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski's website lays out some of the gripes.

The bottom line seems to be that some fishermen simply don't want an extra body aboard.

Would you?

It will be interesting to see if the National Marine Fisheries Service gives in to the congressional pressure and delays the program.

Deckboss really doesn't care either way.

But if observers are deployed as scheduled, he'll sure be interested to see an honest accounting of what really comes up on all those hooks.

State goes fishing for salmon disaster relief

Here's a letter from state Commerce Commissioner Susan Bell to Alaska's congressional delegation making a case for federal disaster aid for the recent poor Chinook salmon returns.

Yes, a salmon disaster in Upper Cook Inlet

Alaska's congressional delegation has sent the Obama administration a letter supporting Gov. Sean Parnell's request for a fishery disaster declaration for Upper Cook Inlet.

Poor Chinook returns forced painful commercial and sportfishing closures this summer.