Alaska delegation again tries to ban hybrid salmon

Alaska's senators, Democrat Mark Begich and Republican Lisa Murkowski, reintroduced legislation to ban genetically engineered salmon, or what they call "Frankenfish."

Here's a joint press release from the senators.

IPHC issues recap of annual meeting

Here's the official press release summing up action from last week's International Pacific Halibut Commission annual meeting.

Are you in state waters, or federal?

State Rep. Alan Austerman, R-Kodiak, says he hears the federal government has "redrawn the three-mile line around Alaska," possibly leading to trouble for unsuspecting commercial fishermen.

Read about it on Austerman's blog.

Halibut cuts confirmed

Here are the major results from the International Pacific Halibut Commission annual meeting in Victoria, British Columbia:

• The commission pretty much accepted the recommendations of its scientific staff and approved a coastwide catch limit of 41.07 million pounds for the 2011 season, down 19 percent from last year.

• Southeast Alaska (Area 2C) will take a particularly hard hit with a catch limit of 2.33 million pounds, down 47 percent.

• The 2011 season will open March 12 and close Nov. 18.

The Seattle-based IPHC manages U.S. and Canadian halibut stocks. The bulk of the commercial catch comes from Alaska.

Here's the full slate of 2011 catch limits, by regulatory area, expressed in millions of pounds.

Regulatory area	2010 catch limits	2011 catch limits	% change
2A	0.81	0.91	+12
2B	7.5	7.65	+2
2C	4.4	2.33	-47
3A	19.99	14.36	-28
3B	9.9	7.51	-24
4A	2.33	2.41	+3
4B	2.16	2.18	+1
4CDE	3.58	3.72	+4
TOTAL	50.67	41.07	-19

Contempt at Adak?

Deckboss loyalists know this blog has followed closely the legal strife surrounding the processing plant way out there on blustery Adak Island.

I simply don't have the energy tonight to recap the saga. You are welcome to search the archives for past posts.

But here's something new for you Adak aficionados: a motion in which landlord Aleut Enterprise asks that its most recent tenant, Adak Seafood, be held in contempt of court for failure to pay $215,739.73 in overdue rent!

What a halibut meeting looks like

The International Pacific Halibut Commission posted these photos from its annual meeting in Victoria, British Columbia. We'll learn tomorrow what the halibut catch limits will be for 2011.

'I'm gonna get you'

I just posted some mighty interesting news on The Brig about a case of observer abuse and, apparently, fish dumping involving a well-known Kodiak boat.