More from Juneau

The House today voted 22-17 in favor of House Bill 125, which specifies membership on the Board of Fisheries. The bill now goes to the Senate for consideration with only a few days remaining in the session.

"HB 125 balances the Board of Fisheries by putting into state law equal representation on the board," said a press release from bill sponsor Rep. Nellie Unangiq Jimmie, D-Toksook Bay. "The bill delineates two seats for subsistence fishing, two for commercial, two for sport, and one for a fisheries scientist."

"My family has subsisted for generations, and many of us fish commercially," Jimmie added. "This bill brings balance across all user groups so that we can protect what is ours."

Juneau watch

The Alaska Legislature yesterday confirmed the governor's picks for the Alaska Board of Fisheries.

The vote was 40 yeas to 20 nays to confirm Tom Carpenter for a second term on the board.

Legislators voted 50 to 10 to confirm newcomer Olivia Irwin.

Legislators also confirmed Rick Green for continued service on the Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission.

Full details on the confirmations are available here.

A buyer for Peter Pan's King Cove plant?

Oregon-based processing giant Pacific Seafood is showing interest in acquiring Peter Pan's idled King Cove processing plant.

That's according to this KUCB report.

Crabber gets prison in illegal transport scheme

Here's a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office.

A sharp exchange between commissioner, trollers

Fish and Game Commissioner Doug Vincent-Lang, in this three-page letter, takes the Alaska Trollers Association to task for public statements the organization made regarding Chinook salmon.

Much bigger salmon harvest expected this year

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game is forecasting a statewide commercial harvest of 214.6 million salmon this year.

That would be more than double the 103.5 million fish taken last year.

Not giving up

Two tribal organizations — the Association of Village Council Presidents and Tanana Chiefs Conference — are appealing their recent defeat in a case challenging the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands groundfish fisheries.