Another Area M battle

The Alaska Board of Fisheries this week approved changes, including a reduction in commercial fishing time, for the June salmon fishery along the South Alaska Peninsula.

The fishery, also known as the Area M or False Pass fishery, has long been controversial as an "intercept" fishery in which seiners and gillnetters targeting sockeye sometimes catch chum salmon bound for Western Alaska.

Western Alaska is experiencing a salmon crisis, with chum and Chinook runs crashing. That's put enormous public pressure on the Board of Fisheries and the North Pacific Fishery Management Council to take action to reduce salmon bycatch in fisheries such as Area M and the Bering Sea pollock trawl fishery.

State Sen. Mike Cronk, R-Tok, was among those urging the Board of Fisheries to take action to conserve salmon headed for Western Alaska rivers.

Two commercial fishing groups — Concerned Area M Fishermen and the Area M Seiners Association — opposed language the board ended up passing on a 4-3 vote.

Interesting reading

"Open ocean aquaculture isn't about replacing wild fisheries; it's about complementing them to help provide more American-raised seafood to American families," two congressmen write in The Hill.

Personnel file

• Trident Seafoods today announced the retirement of Jim McManus from the company's board of directors.

• Frank O'Hara III has been elected president of the Wild Alaska Sole Association.

• Keyport LLC, a crab and frozen seafood processor and supplier, has named Craig Morris as president. He joins Keyport after seven years as CEO of the Association of Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers.

Juneau watch

Several bills of importance to the commercial fishing industry were introduced today in the Alaska Legislature. Here's a rundown.

Sen. Gary Stevens, R-Kodiak, filed Senate Bill 268 titled "An Act relating to minimum paid sick leave requirements for individuals employed in seafood processing."

Sen. Lyman Hoffman, D-Bethel, filed Senate Bill 269 titled "An Act restructuring the Board of Fisheries."

Rep. Sarah Vance, R-Homer, filed House Bill 356 titled "An Act relating to health and sanitary requirements and certain permits for commercial fishing vessels."

Rep. Neal Foster, D-Nome, filed House Bill 368 titled "An Act relating to meetings of the Board of Fisheries."

Rep. Kevin McCabe, R-Big Lake, filed House Joint Resolution 34 titled "Urging the United States Congress and federal fisheries managers to make changes to the federal Prohibited Species Donation program to reduce the waste of edible bycatch, increase vessel participation, and improve food security in the state."

Rep. Justin Ruffridge, R-Soldotna, filed House Joint Resolution 35 titled "Urging federal fisheries managers to reduce trawl bycatch, maintain existing bycatch limits, and strengthen enforcement; and supporting federal efforts aimed at reducing bycatch and benthic habitat contact."

A must for your fish library

Don Giles, the former CEO of Icicle Seafoods, has published a memoir of his career in the fish business. "Fish Tales: My Unplanned Journey Through the Alaskan Seafood Industry" follows a Texas college kid who starts out unloading crab on a Seward dock and ends up running one of Alaska's great salmon processors. It's a remarkably candid insider account of the stressful life of a seafood executive, with the story extending through the bittersweet sale of Icicle in 2007. In telling his own story, Giles describes monumental changes in the industry such as the advent of individual fishing quotas for halibut and sablefish. Buy the book at Amazon.

Is Little Port Walter dead?

During legislative testimony last week, Scott Wagner, general manager of Sitka-based hatchery operator Northern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association, dropped some news about NOAA's Little Port Walter Research Station.

"This facility was recently shut down by NOAA in the last couple of months. It is now shuttered, the lights are out, generators off. It's closed," he said.

The station, located on Baranof Island, dates to 1934 and is "the oldest year-round biological field station in Alaska," NOAA says.

Featuring a small hatchery, Little Port Walter has a long and productive history of king salmon and other research, Wagner said.

"It definitely is a shame to see it go," he said.

From the sound of it, funding was a factor in the closure, but we don't know for sure. Deckboss has asked NOAA for comment on the station's status, but we've not heard back.

Bernt Bodal crosses the bar

Here's a press release from American Seafoods Co.