Halibut gets a boost

The International Pacific Halibut Commission today announced catch limits for 2017.

The limits total 31.4 million pounds coastwide, a 5 percent increase over last year's limits.

The season will open March 11 and run to Nov. 7.

Ailing crewman hoisted off factory trawler

A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter today conducted a medevac off the Bering Sea factory trawler American Dynasty.

The patient, 59, was suffering from a possible appendicitis, the Coast Guard said.

A popular pick for NMFS chief

Who will head the National Marine Fisheries Service in the Trump administration?

Many in the industry like Chris Oliver, the longtime executive director of the North Pacific Fishery Management Council.

Check out this letter of support.

Click here for Oliver's bio.

Buyback fails

We told you in November that Southeast Alaska salmon seiners would vote on whether to buy out more permits.

So, how did the election turn out?

"We received 180 ballots of which 132 were for and the remaining 48 against," said Michael Sturtevant, with the National Marine Fisheries Service.

For the referendum to be successful, at least 158 of the 315 permit holders would have had to vote in favor, he said.

A notice with more details will be published soon in the Federal Register, Sturtevant said.

Small sockeye catch projected at Copper River

Here's the Copper River salmon forecast, and it's not pretty.

State biologists are projecting a commercial catch of 889,000 sockeye.

That would be well below last year's catch of 1.18 million sockeye, which itself was nothing to write home about.

Juneau watch

The Alaska Legislature kicked off a new session this week, and lawmakers already have filed some bills of interest to the fishing industry.

House Bill 56 raises limits on certain state commercial fishing loans. The sponsor is Rep. Dan Ortiz, of Ketchikan.

House Bill 29 would prohibit the sale of genetically modified fish in Alaska. The sponsor is Rep. Geran Tarr, of Anchorage.

The major concern for legislators this session will be the same as last year — a multibillion-dollar budget deficit resulting from the decline in oil revenue. This could lead to new or higher taxes for industry and individuals.

Feds declare disaster for pink salmon fisheries

Here's the press release.

More on those tapeworms

Evidently sensing a potential crisis, the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute has posted a two-part response to reports of the discovery of a type of tapeworm in wild Alaska salmon.

Press release
Alaska salmon Q&A

Here is the scientific article that got this parasitic PR problem started.

Tapeworms in wild Alaska salmon?

Check out this CNN report.

He's starting to become a big fish

Alaska's junior U.S. senator, Dan Sullivan, has been named chairman of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard.

Big news from big trawl company

American Seafoods has named a new CEO.

Court battle over Cook Inlet salmon continues

Two interesting documents were filed yesterday in federal court in Alaska.

UCIDA motion to vacate Amendment 12

Declaration of Erik Huebsch

For background, here's a news item from the November 2016 issue of Pacific Fishing magazine:

Cook Inlet salmon ruling

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Sept. 21 ruled in favor of United Cook Inlet Drift Association (UCIDA) and Cook Inlet Fishermen’s Fund in a case concerning Cook Inlet salmon management.

The two groups sued the federal government in 2013 and appealed after a loss in the district court.

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council has jurisdiction over the federal waters of Cook Inlet, the 9th Circuit opinion said.

In 2010, the council began a comprehensive review of the salmon fishery management plan (FMP), and the next year voted unanimously to remove Cook Inlet from the salmon FMP. The government argued in court that the removal amounted to delegation of Cook Inlet to the state of Alaska, which had long managed the inlet’s salmon fisheries.

UCIDA and its co-plaintiff opposed implementation of the council’s action. They have problems with the state’s management of Cook Inlet salmon, saying commercial sockeye catches have suffered over the years.

The 9th Circuit remanded the case to the district court.

Please spare Area 2C!

The International Pacific Halibut Commission has posted proposals for this year's catch limits.

Of particular note is a proposal from a group of fishing associations and processors who say, in part: "Reductions in Area 2C catch limits are not justified by current data or trends."

Area 2C encompasses Southeast Alaska.

Read the full proposal here.

The commission will consider the proposals and set the year's catch limits at its annual meeting Jan. 23-27 in Victoria, British Columbia.