Friday, August 26, 2016

Gangster fishing?

The F/V Temptation with significant damage to its port side.

The Alaska State Troopers are investigating an incident in which a commercial salmon seiner was rammed in Hidden Bay in western Prince William Sound.

It occurred the morning of Aug. 15 during the pink salmon fishery.

Troopers spokeswoman Megan Peters said three vessels were involved in the incident: the Temptation, Chugach Pearl and Silver Streak.

She was unable to say which boat did what.

But a reader tells Deckboss it was the Temptation that took the hit, as evidenced by these photos.

A 23-year-old crewman aboard the Temptation was injured, Peters said. He reportedly needed a Coast Guard medevac.

Now, we all know Alaska commercial fishing can get a bit rough, with boats swapping curses and even a little paint. Tempers can easily flare on the water.

But this case might have had an extra dimension.

The story goes that a group of cooperating boats had formed a blockade to prevent competing vessels from accessing the pink salmon.

When the Temptation, which was not part of the group, tried to run through, a blockading boat rammed the Temptation midships on the port side.

Did it really happen this way?

Deckboss can't say for sure. All we know is the Temptation appears to have taken a pretty hard lick.

The reader who brought this case to our attention says this kind of rough, organized fishing has gone on for too long and must stop.

Let's hope the troopers can get to the bottom of the Hidden Bay case.

26 comments:

Anonymous said...

Crazy story but I doubt this happened "in" Hidden Bay, perhaps it happened near or outside of Hidden Bay?

Anonymous said...

it happened in Hidden bay

Anonymous said...

The Cabana bitch on the pearl thought she was tough. Now she'll get to see how tough she is in the state pen

Carl Burton II said...

The "Modutech Mafia" has been doing this for years, proof inbreeding is dangerous.

It's sad and illegal. There are so many seiners that bring their children.

I hope the Coast Guard and Troopers take this incident as serious as it is.

Anonymous said...

Yes, it happened inside Hidden Bay.

Mark E said...

I hope legal action is brought to bare. This sort of nonsense by well known bad actors has gone on for far too long. Not only is it illegal and ugly but actuarially speaking, raises everyone's insurance costs.

Mark Ervice
Homer

Unknown said...

Nope it was in hidden bay next to the waterfall

akfisher said...

Pretty disgusting that the Chugach Pearl was willing put a crewmans life at risk over a few thousand dollars worth of humpies. Hopefully he makes a speedy recovery

Anonymous said...

chugach pearl did the ramming. knocked the stack down on the crew member who had to get 40 stitches in his head. It was inside hidden bay, the cabanas being bullies again. wasn't even open yet when she rammed him. Fishing aggressively is one thing but trying to sink someone's boat and almost killing a crew member is unacceptable, that whole family should go to jail.

Anonymous said...

They must have been caught in a time warp and thought it was a herring opener!

Anonymous said...

Cordova fisherman need to stop hating on the cabana family. Just because you guys are selfish and you cant work together as a team. Don't hate on them. The rumors have been stretched so far it makes me sick. Let the trooper do the job.

Anonymous said...

@ 11:47. Who said they are all cordova fisherman? The gal almost killed someone out of greed. No need to try and stick up for a bunch of bullies...unless you are one of them

Anonymous said...

Hating on the cabanas? Seriously, who did the hating? Who did the damage? Look at the records, Kami crossed the line hard and fast, and the trooper, then the DA, will do their job. You disgusting people can defend them all you want. The truth is there. It will all come out and "Cordova fisherman" will not be hating, but on top of your ugly lies. The truth is in pictures. Hate is on your side.

Anonymous said...

Send the cost recovery boat from Wally to clean up Hidden Bay once a week and there will be no need to have a fishery in that small area. No ramming and jamming anymore. They're all hatchery fish anyway.

Anonymous said...

The Cabanas have been acting this way for a long time, years ago in a herring opener we were setting seign and one of them set out in a straight line broke off the tow line and continued on to ram us broadside doing serious damage, we sucked up the loss and did not report, just saying it is nothing new for this bunch with their twin and triple engine boats, they need to be stopped before they kill someone, or before they ram someone with a 45 magnum, would that be considered self defense if someone was ramming your boat, continuing to push, and trying to sink you?

Anonymous said...

Maybe the question is to many boats going after to few of fish? Cabana's think they own the sea, they don't and I think the State should make an example out of their behavior and fine them heavily, criminally indict them. Then we have to consider what happens in the Bay. This is a normal occurrence. They just have more fish to be greedy about and then when the run is down, to many boats. CFEC should do a real optimization study that takes into consideration economic stability and safety for ALL salmon fisheries in the State. Latent permits or over capitalization is everywhere in the State waters salmon and herring fisheries.

Anonymous said...

PWS Salmon Seine isn't a "distressed fishery" 12:48. Unlike Cabana's Insurance Policy.

20 AAC 05.300. Distressed fisheries
The commission designates the following as distressed fisheries based upon its estimate that the optimum number of entry permits for these fisheries will be less than the highest number of units of gear fished in these fisheries during any one of the four years immediately preceding January 1, 1973:
Salmon Fisheries
(1) Southeastern Alaska (A)
drift gillnet fishery*
(2) Prince William Sound (E)
drift gillnet fishery
(3) Cook Inlet (H)
drift gillnet fishery
set gillnet fishery
(4) Kodiak (K)
purse seine fishery
(5) Alaska Peninsula-Aleutian Islands (M)
drift gillnet fishery
(6) Bristol Bay (T)
drift gillnet fishery
set gillnet fishery

Anonymous said...

9:18, That is at the inception of the limited entry program. The current definition of an optimized fishery has changed by the result of several court opinions. The constitution makes the statement justifying the limited entry system for economic stability. Bristol Bay and other areas of the state have challenged the original optimum number definition allowing more permits than traditional licenses that were held in each area. Case law now states that optimization is not a number but a range. Times change and fisheries management and conservation have also adapted to a more sustainable reasoning process. Laws also must adapt to be relevant and the administrative code you cite is only for the process as defined in the moment.

Anonymous said...

If they are in an insurance pool, throw the blockers out.

Anonymous said...

Sounds like that guy running his step daddies boat shouldn't have been putting his crew in danger by running into another boat trying to get into someone else's set. Ive had encounters with that guy before, he's pretty aggressive. People seem to hate on the Cabanas because they are successful. I've never had a problem with them, can't say the same for that other guy.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous at 12:25, are you saying that the skipper of the Temptation is the one at fault? Damage to the Temptation's port side indicates she was initially to starboard of the Chugach Pearl. In this scenario, the Chugach Pearl would be be required to stay clear of the Temptation as per Rule 15, Crossing Situation. I don't know, I wasn't there. But I would guess the maritime attorney for the Temptation is licking his chops.

Anonymous said...

Never any excuse for hitting another boat. That is why it is against the law. Jason had his own seiner for years great guy to fish around, no more agressive than most people his age. Someone who makes a comment like that obviously was not there or has some issues.

One thing to fish agressively, another to deliberatly hit someones boat, but when someone gets hurt and not one of the cabanas showed any concern for him, that is troubling.

Something not told here is that a different cabana also rammed another boat 3 minutes before the opening, wonder how long the fleet in pws will stand for this type of behavior.

Anonymous said...

According to Tom Copeland, every PWS seiner knows about blockade's "In August of 1993, Cordova fishermen were suffering through an even worse season than this one. The seine fleet was stuck in two giant lines down at AFK. Three days waiting for a set and then no fish. Times were tough...The fleet took up a collection to send Jim Gray back to Washington D.C. to meet with President Clinton’s staff to try and get our substantial USCG fines forgiven...The Coast Guard lost no time in sending the Sweetbrier up from Cordova to confront what they called, “The first closure of a federal waterway due to civil disobedience since the Civil War."

Q; How may pinks does it take to get fined by the U.S.C.G?
A; Zero, even the U.S.C.G. won't eat pinks.

http://www.thecordovatimes.com/2016/09/02/guest-commentary-cordova-should-be-proud-of-the-blockade/

Anonymous said...

Hidden Bay should be part of PWSAC's SHA and they should be required to keep it cleaned up, ESPECIALLY during big return years. There is no spawning habitat there, just a waterfall that attracts misguided WHN pinks, all hatchery strays, 100's of thousands of them that go unharvested some years. This bay has turned into a September roe stripping reservoir for those with a market.

Anonymous said...

Into someone else's set? It was 10 minutes before it opened! And the temptation did not ram anyone, he was on a straight line going to the head of the bay when the Cabanas decided they were going to do whatever it took to keep everyone out. Heard there is a video of it all and your story is not adding up. Jason has been fishing in the sound since 89 and his life is fishing, the most avid fisherman i have ever met. He spends all of his spare time with a rod in his hands chasing tuna and steelhead all winter long. I have more respect for him as a fisherman than all the Cabanas combined. Oh the truth will come out in time

SeaScapes said...

Wheres the video?