Bering Sea king, snow crab catch limits drop

Butter consumption to decline this winter. ASMI photo

The state Department of Fish and Game today announced total allowable catch limits for this winter's Bering Sea crab fisheries.

Here's a breakdown for the two main fisheries:

Bristol Bay red king crab: 16 million pounds, down 21.6 percent from last season.

Bering Sea snow crab: 48 million pounds, down 18.1 percent from last season.

The fisheries open at noon Oct. 15.

NTSB findings, recommendations now available

A view of the Alaska Ranger's stern, including rudders, as she sat in a Japanese drydock in 2007. USCG photo

Here is the National Transportation Safety Board's probable cause statement for the Easter 2008 sinking of the Bering Sea trawler Alaska Ranger:

The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of the sinking of the Alaska Ranger was uncontrolled, progressive flooding due to a lack of internal watertight integrity and to a breach of the hull’s watertight envelope, likely caused by a physical rudder loss. Contributing to the loss of life was the vessel’s movement astern, which likely accelerated the flooding and caused the liferafts to swing out of reach of many crewmembers.

Click here to read the agency's 20-point conclusion plus safety recommendations.

Report: Rudder fell off doomed trawler

The National Transportation Safety Board has just wrapped up its meeting in Washington, D.C., and adopted findings that the Alaska Ranger flooded and sank after losing a rudder, a rare event.

The board also adopted a slate of recommendations urging Congress to toughen fishing vessel safety inspections, and encouraging the North Pacific Fishery Management Council to remove potential regulatory barriers to replacing old boats.

The NTSB soon is expected to post a probable cause statement, findings and recommendations here.

NTSB to reveal findings in Alaska Ranger tragedy

The Alaska Ranger in drydock in 2007 in Japan. USCG photo

Sounds like federal investigators today might tell us the cause of the Easter 2008 sinking of the trawler Alaska Ranger, which killed five crewmen.

Here's a media advisory the National Transportation Safety Board sent out last week:

National Transportation Safety Board
Washington, D.C.

Sept. 25, 2009

NTSB TO MEET ON ALASKA RANGER SINKING OFF ALASKA COAST

The National Transportation Safety Board will hold a public Board meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2009, at 9:30 a.m., in its Board Room and Conference Center, 429 L'Enfant Plaza, S.W., Washington, D.C. There is one agenda item.

On March 23, 2008, the Alaska Ranger, a fish processing vessel, owned by Fishing Company of Alaska, sank in the Bering Sea, 120 nautical miles west of Dutch Harbor, Alaska. Five of the 47 persons aboard the Alaska Ranger died. The wreckage lies at the bottom of the sea and was not examined.

A live and archived webcast of the proceedings will be available on the Board's website at http://ntsb.gov/events/Boardmeeting.htm. Technical support details are available under "Board Meetings" on the NTSB website. To report any problems, please call 703-993-3100 and ask for Webcast Technical Support.

A summary of the Board's final report, which will include findings, probable cause and safety recommendations, will appear on the website shortly after the conclusion of the meeting. The entire report will appear on the website several weeks later.

Legislator releases draft Cook Inlet salmon report

When last we visited the subject of the Cook Inlet Salmon Task Force, its chairman had whipped up a minor scandal after trying to steer a $20,000 writing contract for the panel's final report to the spouse of one of his own legislative staffers.

Now Rep. Craig Johnson, R-Anchorage, has released this draft report he says was "prepared by a volunteer — at virtually no cost to the state."

Johnson stresses the report isn't finished yet. Indeed, it literally ends mid-sentence on page 96.

Deckboss might have more thoughts on the report once he's read it.

Below is an e-mail Johnson sent to fellow legislators today introducing the report. Pretty interesting, with a reference to the idea of buying out Cook Inlet commercial fishing permits.

FROM: Rep. Craig Johnson
SENT: Tuesday, September 29, 2009 3:53 PM
SUBJECT: Joint Cook Inlet Salmon Task Force

Members of the Joint Cook Inlet Salmon Task Force,

Attached for your review is a copy of the draft Joint Cook Inlet Salmon Task Force report. While the draft is not complete and unedited, it contains a great deal of meaningful new information. The current draft is nearly one hundred pages long and contains more than two hundred footnotes citing source materials and testimony presented to the Task Force during its hearings. It was prepared by a volunteer — at virtually no cost to the state.

I recently requested funding to complete work on this important report, but it’s unclear at this point whether any funding will be authorized. Given that, I wanted to release the draft report for your review.

Two critical sections of the report still remain to be written. One would discuss the status and potential causes of apparent Northern District/Susitna salmon stock declines. Another section, already begun in this draft, would analyze the possibility of using the Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission’s "buy-back" program or other means to assist the struggling Upper Cook Inlet commercial salmon fishing fleet which has been economically devastated in recent years.

Finally, it was my intention that the completed report would also include: 1) an executive summary; 2) a section discussing key policy considerations and recommendations for future legislative action or oversight on the issue leading up to the critical Board of Fisheries meeting on Cook Inlet in 2010; 3) numerous charts and graphs depicting key data presented in the report; and 4) standard technical sections including a table of contents, bibliography, etc.

Unfortunately, when the Task Force was formed, it was provided no staff or funding to accomplish its mission — or preparation of a final report. Nevertheless, the Task Force held five public meetings in various Cook Inlet communities and took testimony from the public with a wide range of groups involved in, or dependent on, the Cook Inlet salmon fisheries. Given the tight time constraints and sheer volume of information and testimony presented, it is inconceivable that the Task Force could have prepared a final report of this magnitude without the able volunteer assistance we received. Whether work on the draft will continue or not is now up to legislative leadership. In my opinion it would be unfortunate if this report is never finished.

Because while Cook Inlet salmon allocations and sustainability issues defy easy answers, I believe the Task Force did some important work on the subject. This draft — though incomplete — clearly reflects that effort. It’s my sincere hope that release of the draft and the new information it contains will stimulate further discussion on the subject and encourage state leaders to continue to focus on an issue that is of critical importance to all Alaskans.

The draft report and all other documents received by the Task Force can be found on the Joint Cook Inlet Salmon Task Force Web site.

Sincerely,

Representative Craig Johnson
Chair, Joint Cook Inlet Salmon Task Force

Possible buyer of Adak fish plant comes clearer

I've been able to peel away a bit of the mystery surrounding a potential buyer of the assets of Adak Fisheries, which has filed for bankruptcy.

The processor's main creditor, Independence Bank of Rhode Island, is asking the court to OK a sale to an outfit called Adak Seafood LLC.

As you might recall, Deckboss was unable to tell you very much about Adak Seafood a few days ago.

A friendly reader has since steered me to the following fine print in certain court documents:

Adak Seafood's address is care of a law firm in Providence, R.I.

The company's managing member is listed as Asbjorn Drevik.

Adak Fisheries, in its bankruptcy filing, listed Norwegian seafood company Drevik International AS as a top creditor with a "disputed" $3.8 million claim.

In checking Drevik International's Web site, I see an Asbjørn Drevik listed as a company contact.

The next hearing is scheduled for Oct. 7 in the bankruptcy court in Anchorage.

Salvage plans emerge for grounded tender

Here's the salmon tender Unimak, which went aground Thursday near Chignik. Three crewmen got off safely in a life raft and were taken to shore on the good Samaritan boat Sylvia Star. Magone Marine out of Dutch Harbor has been hired for the salvage job, the U.S. Coast Guard reported today. The 83-foot, wood-hulled tender had about 800 gallons of diesel on board. USCG photo