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U.S. District Judge H. Russel Holland has granted the Fixed Gear Alliance's motion to intervene as a plaintiff in The Boat Co. lawsuit.

Here's the judge's order.

We want in

Deckboss reported in December how The Boat Co., a Southeast Alaska sportfishing outfit, had filed suit challenging the federal government's expanded fishery observer program.

The suit argues program regulations don't ensure adequate observer coverage to estimate bycatch of halibut and Chinook salmon in Gulf of Alaska trawl fisheries.

Now a group called the Fixed Gear Alliance is looking to intervene in the case, also to challenge the expanded observer program.

This memorandum in support of the motion to intervene explains the group's many complaints, including "excessive and unnecessary costs" and other burdens associated with the program.

The memo says the Fixed Gear Alliance is "an Alaska nonprofit corporation whose membership represents commercial fishing vessel owners, commercial fishing vessel operators, commercial fishing crewmembers, halibut and sablefish Quota Share holders, and commercial fishing associations who operate, or who have members that operate, fixed longline or pot fishing gear in the Gulf of Alaska, Bering Sea, or Aleutian Island management areas."

Juneau attorney Bruce Weyhrauch is representing the Fixed Gear Alliance.

Motion denied

A federal judge has denied the Aleut Corp.'s motion to intervene in the Steller sea lion lawsuit.

The state and various industry groups are suing the federal government in hopes of killing new restrictions on cod and Atka mackerel fishing along the Aleutian chain. The restrictions are meant to preserve food for the endangered Stellers.

U.S. District Judge Timothy Burgess ruled that Aleut, which opposes the fishing restrictions, missed the deadline to join the suit as an intervenor.

However, the judge is allowing Aleut a say in the case as a "friend of the court."

Aleut looks to join Steller sea lion fight

The Aleut Corp. and its subsidiary, Aleut Enterprise LLC, are seeking to intervene in the Steller sea lion lawsuit.

Aleut Enterprise owns the seafood processing plant and runs the fuel terminal on Adak Island.

The state and numerous fishing industry players are challenging the federal government's closure of some fishing grounds in the Aleutian chain to protect the endangered sea lions.

Aleut, the Native regional corporation for the Aleutians, and Aleut Enterprise want to intervene in the suit as a plaintiff.

Rudy Tsukada, president of Aleut Enterprise, says in this affidavit the government's fishing restrictions likely will cut Adak marine fuel sales by half, cause fuel prices to spike by nearly 90 percent, cost five employees their jobs, decimate Adak tax revenues, and result in sundry other bad things.