The U.S. Coast Guard says it has seized a "stateless" fishing vessel and crew suspected of engaging in illegal high-seas driftnetting in the North Pacific.
A boarding team from the Coast Guard cutter Munro found more than 10 miles of driftnet, 30 tons of squid and approximately 30 shark carcasses aboard — and rats.
A press release and photos are here.
Friday, September 30, 2011
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Injured fisherman airlifted to Kodiak
The U.S. Coast Guard this evening reported a crewman suffered head injuries from a crab pot while working aboard the fishing vessel Van Elliott in Kupreanof Strait, 46 miles west of Kodiak.
A rescue helicopter hoisted Jimmy Cook, 48, off the 70-foot vessel and took him to Kodiak for medical care.
It wasn't clear from a Coast Guard press release exactly when the injury occurred.
A rescue helicopter hoisted Jimmy Cook, 48, off the 70-foot vessel and took him to Kodiak for medical care.
It wasn't clear from a Coast Guard press release exactly when the injury occurred.
CDQ organizations talk back
On Sept. 14, Deckboss posted a 15-page appeal for reform of the North Pacific Fishery Management Council.
The appeal's authors contend Alaska, which holds six of the 11 voting seats on the council, has used its majority to the detriment of Oregon and Washington. And they focus on Alaska's growing Community Development Quota program to make their argument.
Well, now the CDQ players are talking back.
Here's a statement received today from their umbrella organization, the Western Alaska Community Development Association.
The appeal's authors contend Alaska, which holds six of the 11 voting seats on the council, has used its majority to the detriment of Oregon and Washington. And they focus on Alaska's growing Community Development Quota program to make their argument.
Well, now the CDQ players are talking back.
Here's a statement received today from their umbrella organization, the Western Alaska Community Development Association.
NMFS, Begich address halibut catch sharing plan
Here's a press release from the National Marine Fisheries Service regarding its current stance on the halibut catch sharing plan.
And here's a statement from U.S. Sen. Mark Begich, D-Alaska, questioning the plan's fairness.
And here's a statement from U.S. Sen. Mark Begich, D-Alaska, questioning the plan's fairness.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Is the halibut catch sharing plan unraveling?
The National Marine Fisheries Service came out with this update at the North Pacific Fishery Management Council meeting in Dutch Harbor.
Trident to pay $2.5 million, build fishmeal plant at Bristol Bay to settle pollution violations with EPA
From the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency:
Sept. 28, 2011
Trident Seafoods Corp. to pay $2.5 million to resolve Clean Water Act violations and spend more than $30 million to upgrade processing plants
Settlement to reduce discharges of seafood processing waste by more than 100 million pounds annually
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Justice today announced that Trident Seafoods Corp., one of the world's largest seafood processors, has agreed to pay a $2.5 million civil penalty and invest millions in seafood processing waste controls to settle alleged violations of the Clean Water Act.
Unauthorized discharges of seafood processing waste lead to large seafood waste piles on the seafloor, creating anoxic, or oxygen-depleted, conditions that result in unsuitable habitats for fish and other living organisms.
"Today's settlement signals an important change in how seafood processing is managed in Alaska," said Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator for EPA's Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. "Trident's investment in fishmeal facilities and commitment to improving its waste management practices will help protect our nation's waters and set the standard for Alaska's seafood processing industry."
"This agreement will benefit the quality of Alaskan waters, which host a critical habitat for the seafood industry," said Ignacia S. Moreno, assistant attorney general for the Justice Department's Environment and Natural Resources Division. "The upgrades will enable Trident to achieve and maintain compliance with the Clean Water Act, and will protect Alaskan waters, eliminate waste and create efficiencies that will serve as a model of best business practices for the seafood processing industry."
The agreement requires Trident to invest an estimated $30-40 million, and potentially more, in source control and waste pile remediation measures. The source control measures include building a fishmeal plant in Naknek that will have the capacity to handle at least 30 million pounds of seafood processing waste annually, taking in both its own fish waste and potentially that of other local processors.
Trident has also agreed to reduce the amount of seafood processing waste discharged from the Akutan, Cordova, St. Paul and Ketchikan facilities and monitor the amount of seafood processing waste discharged into Starrigavan Bay in Sitka. The actions taken will reduce Trident's fish processing discharges by a total of more than 105 million pounds annually.
The company has also agreed to remediation measures including studying seafloor waste piles at Trident's facilities in Akutan, Ketchikan and Cordova. Based on the results of these studies, Trident will remove or partially remediate the piles. One seafood processing waste pile in Akutan Harbor is currently estimated to be more than 50 acres in size.
The EPA complaint, also filed as part of this legal action, alleges that Trident had more than 480 Clean Water Act violations at 14 of its onshore and offshore Alaskan seafood processing facilities. The alleged violations include discharging without a necessary permit, exceeding discharge limits, failing to comply with permit restrictions on discharge locations (including discharges into at least two national wildlife refuges), and creating oxygen-depleting "zones of deposit" or underwater piles of fish processing waste occupying more than the allowed one acre of seafloor. The company also allegedly failed to conduct required monitoring and implement required best management practices.
Over the past decade, Trident has been a party to multiple administrative enforcement agreements and judicial consent decrees resolving similar violations at many of the same facilities.
The settlement was lodged in federal court in Seattle, Wash., and is subject to a 30-day public comment period.
For more information on the settlement and a copy of the consent decree, click here.
Sept. 28, 2011
Trident Seafoods Corp. to pay $2.5 million to resolve Clean Water Act violations and spend more than $30 million to upgrade processing plants
Settlement to reduce discharges of seafood processing waste by more than 100 million pounds annually
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Justice today announced that Trident Seafoods Corp., one of the world's largest seafood processors, has agreed to pay a $2.5 million civil penalty and invest millions in seafood processing waste controls to settle alleged violations of the Clean Water Act.
Unauthorized discharges of seafood processing waste lead to large seafood waste piles on the seafloor, creating anoxic, or oxygen-depleted, conditions that result in unsuitable habitats for fish and other living organisms.
"Today's settlement signals an important change in how seafood processing is managed in Alaska," said Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator for EPA's Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. "Trident's investment in fishmeal facilities and commitment to improving its waste management practices will help protect our nation's waters and set the standard for Alaska's seafood processing industry."
"This agreement will benefit the quality of Alaskan waters, which host a critical habitat for the seafood industry," said Ignacia S. Moreno, assistant attorney general for the Justice Department's Environment and Natural Resources Division. "The upgrades will enable Trident to achieve and maintain compliance with the Clean Water Act, and will protect Alaskan waters, eliminate waste and create efficiencies that will serve as a model of best business practices for the seafood processing industry."
The agreement requires Trident to invest an estimated $30-40 million, and potentially more, in source control and waste pile remediation measures. The source control measures include building a fishmeal plant in Naknek that will have the capacity to handle at least 30 million pounds of seafood processing waste annually, taking in both its own fish waste and potentially that of other local processors.
Trident has also agreed to reduce the amount of seafood processing waste discharged from the Akutan, Cordova, St. Paul and Ketchikan facilities and monitor the amount of seafood processing waste discharged into Starrigavan Bay in Sitka. The actions taken will reduce Trident's fish processing discharges by a total of more than 105 million pounds annually.
The company has also agreed to remediation measures including studying seafloor waste piles at Trident's facilities in Akutan, Ketchikan and Cordova. Based on the results of these studies, Trident will remove or partially remediate the piles. One seafood processing waste pile in Akutan Harbor is currently estimated to be more than 50 acres in size.
The EPA complaint, also filed as part of this legal action, alleges that Trident had more than 480 Clean Water Act violations at 14 of its onshore and offshore Alaskan seafood processing facilities. The alleged violations include discharging without a necessary permit, exceeding discharge limits, failing to comply with permit restrictions on discharge locations (including discharges into at least two national wildlife refuges), and creating oxygen-depleting "zones of deposit" or underwater piles of fish processing waste occupying more than the allowed one acre of seafloor. The company also allegedly failed to conduct required monitoring and implement required best management practices.
Over the past decade, Trident has been a party to multiple administrative enforcement agreements and judicial consent decrees resolving similar violations at many of the same facilities.
The settlement was lodged in federal court in Seattle, Wash., and is subject to a 30-day public comment period.
For more information on the settlement and a copy of the consent decree, click here.
Metal Shark makes Kodiak
The U.S. Coast Guard in Kodiak has a sleek new asset with a clunky name: a "special purpose craft — training boat." The 38-foot aluminum vessel is said to be the only one of its kind in the Coast Guard. Seen here running around Womens Bay, the boat will be used for aids to navigation, training and search and rescue missions. It can hold 20 people and operate in 34 mph winds and 6-foot seas. The Coast Guard didn't specify top speed. Louisiana boat builder Metal Shark made the SPC-TB. A second one is scheduled to be stationed at Sitka later this year. USCG photo
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