Another fishery headed for limited entry

Dozens of Alaska commercial fisheries are limited — that is, restricted to a maximum number of participants.

Now, another fishery is moving toward limited entry.

Regulations to limit the Prince William Sound shrimp pot fishery will be the subject of a Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission public hearing on March 26 in Anchorage.

More details are available here.

The continuing fight over Metlakatla's fishing rights

Alaska is petitioning the San Francisco appeals court to reconsider its recent ruling that would appear to exempt Metlakatla Indian Community fishermen from the state's limited entry program.

A blow to state fisheries management

A federal appeals court has ruled that Metlakatla tribal members may fish commercially in waters off their Southeast Alaska reservation — specifically, in districts 1 and 2 — and they don't need a state permit to do so.

This startling court opinion would seem to knock a serious hole in the state's fishery management authority, in particular the limited entry program.

Juneau watch

State Rep. Chris Tuck, D-Anchorage, has introduced a bill relating to "the delegation of authority to fish under a limited entry commercial fishing permit."

Grab your dredge!

Due to legislative inaction in Juneau, limited entry for the state's weathervane scallop fishery expired at the end of 2013.

The fishery now reverts to open access.

Vessels looking to target scallops inside state waters of the Yakutat, Prince William Sound, Kodiak or Dutch Harbor areas must register with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game by April 1.

More details in this press release.

Deckboss wonders what will happen if numerous vessels sign up. The scallop stock is small, and the department will need to control fishing effort.

Scallop scuffle

For the latest on the continuing efforts in Juneau to maintain limited entry for the state's small commercial scallop fishery, check out this email blast from United Fishermen of Alaska.

The politics of scallops and hair crab

State legislators wrapped up their 90-day session late Sunday, having spent most of their time on oil and gas issues.

Later this week, Deckboss hopes to write up a brilliant summary of the fisheries-related action in Juneau.

Here's one quick note for now.

Controversial legislation to extend limited entry for Alaska's weathervane scallop and Korean hair crab fisheries failed to pass the full Legislature.

Both are small fisheries, and hair crab actually has been closed for quite a few years.

These are the only fisheries in which permits are assigned to vessels, not people. Some legislators really disagree with that.

Scallopers lobbied hard, and the Senate did pass a bill, SB 54.

Resistance in the House, however, ultimately stymied things.

And so, at the end of the year, limited entry for the scallop and hair crab fisheries will expire.

Open access might be short-lived, however, as the legislation remains alive for the next session beginning in January 2014.

The battle for scallops in Juneau

Alaska has a small but lucrative fishery for weathervane scallops, a sweet and extra plump variety.

The scallops are taken from beds in federal and state waters, with the majority of the catch coming from the federal side.

A cumbersome system of federal licenses and state permits limit entry in the fishery.

The handful of scallop participants want to keep the gate closed, and are trying to push through legislation in Juneau this session to extend limited entry in state waters for another five years at least.

The bill that's advanced the farthest is Senate Bill 54. Click the Documents button to read letters for and against.

This is a controversial issue, for a couple of reasons. First, the state scallop permits attach to vessels, not people as in the salmon, herring and other fisheries. That rubs some people the wrong way.

Second, some believe the scallop fishery is too concentrated in the hands of a very few persons or corporations.

Here's a report from within the state Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission. It lays out what look like strategic business moves to consolidate control of the harvest.

Above all, scallop players don't want to see state limited entry expire after this year. This would allow the state waters to revert to open access, and would be bad for the fishery overall, in the view of the North Pacific Fishery Management Council.

At least three lobbyists are working on behalf of the Alaska Scallop Association, a fishery cooperative.

They include Frank Homan, a former CFEC commissioner, who has reported a fee of $12,000; Gerald McCune, $5,000; and Bob Thorstenson Jr., $5,000.

Shut-out charter operators lose court case

A federal judge has thrown out a challenge to limited entry for Alaska halibut charter boats. Here's the ruling.

And here's what we posted last year when the lawsuit was filed.

Limited entry stands for halibut charter boats

A Washington, D.C., judge has denied a motion for a preliminary injunction against new federal regulations limiting the number of halibut charter boats in Southeast and Southcentral Alaska (Areas 2C and 3A).

The judge's order was entered today.

Here's the background on this.

Disqualified halibut charter operators sue feds

Charter Operators of Alaska, a Homer-based nonprofit, today sued the federal government in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C.

The lawsuit seeks to undo new regulations limiting the number of halibut charter boats in Southeast Alaska (Area 2C) and Southcentral Alaska (Area 3A).

Here's a press release from Charter Operators of Alaska.