ESA watch

Tomorrow is the deadline for the National Marine Fisheries Service to submit its finding on whether Gulf of Alaska Chinook salmon should be listed under the Endangered Species Act.

The agency is considering the question in response to a listing petition from the Wild Fish Conservancy, a nonprofit headquartered in Washington state.

A finding that some or all Gulf of Alaska Chinook stocks are threatened or endangered would be momentous.

Deckboss will be watching closely to see what drops!

Whittier commissioning for destroyer Ted Stevens

Details in this Navy press release.

SE fisherman fined, banned in halibut conspiracy

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

Dismal salmon news out of Kodiak

Here's an Alaska Department of Fish and Game advisory announcement describing pitiful Chinook salmon escapements and implications for commercial fisheries.

Juneau watch

The House Special Committee on Fisheries tomorrow will consider the governor's appointees to the Alaska Board of Fisheries.

The appointees include newcomers Paul Cyr and Blair Hickson.

Mike Wood is up for reappointment to the board.

The committee hearing is set to begin at 10 a.m.

Dave Bronson claims fishy business at Dutch Harbor

Here's a press release.

The new salmon season comes in sight!

The famed Copper River salmon fishery will open at 7 a.m. May 22 for a 12-hour period, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game announced today.

The commercial harvest forecast for this year is 728,000 sockeye, which is on par with the 10-year average of 733,000, the department said.

Sockeye and king salmon from the Copper River are a highly anticipated culinary treat each year, with the start of the fishery serving as the kickoff to a new Alaska salmon season.