Council meeting still on, but it'll be weird

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council will go ahead with its December meeting, but it appears the government shutdown could hamper things significantly.

Here's an update the council just posted.

The council's December meeting is always one of its biggest of the year, as that's when groundfish quotas for the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska are set.

From Coast Guard headquarters

The U.S. Coast Guard today confirmed its military service members will receive their mid-month paychecks for Oct. 15.

More in this press release.

Hefty quota increases for Bering Sea crab

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game today announced Bering Sea crab harvest quotas for the 2025-26 season.

The Bristol Bay red king crab quota is 2.68 million pounds, a 16 percent increase from last season.

The Bering Sea snow crab quota is 9.3 million pounds, up 97 percent.

The Bering Sea bairdi Tanner crab quota is 11.25 million pounds, a 79 percent increase.

The season opens at noon Oct. 15, with the fleet expected to first go after Bristol Bay red king crab.

Deckboss is advised the federal government shutdown is not expected to delay issuance of individual fishing quotas for crabbers.

What would happen in a shutdown scenario?

If the Alaska Legislature can't work out a budget and the state proceeds with a partial government shutdown come July, what would happen to fisheries management?

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game addresses that question in this press release.

Wait nearly over for crabbers

Julie Speegle, with the National Marine Fisheries Service in Juneau, just told Deckboss agency employees are back at work following the government shutdown, and they're hustling to prepare the permits necessary for Bering Sea red king crabbers to begin their season.

Six staffers are dedicated to the task, and the goal is to issue the permits by the close of business tomorrow, Speegle said.

Cantwell, Begich urge action on king crab fishery

Here's a letter from two Democratic senators, Maria Cantwell of Washington and Mark Begich of Alaska, who say the ongoing government shutdown should not preclude opening the lucrative Bristol Bay red king crab fishery.

A 'Deadliest Catch' captain goes to Washington

CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer, left, with Keith Colburn, captain of the Bering Sea crab boat Wizard. Twitter photo @crabwizard

Keith Colburn, owner and captain of the Bering Sea crab boat Wizard, went to Washington, D.C., last week to talk about how the partial government shutdown threatens to delay Tuesday's start of the red king crab season.

"I’m a small businessman in a big ocean with big bills. I need to go fishing," Colburn said during a Friday hearing of the Senate Commerce Committee.

Read his written testimony here.

Colburn, whose boat is featured on the TV show "Deadliest Catch," also paid a visit to CNN.

Can Antideficiency Act save crab fishery?

In a letter to Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker, three Republican members of Congress argue Alaska's lucrative red king crab fishery can and should open on time Oct. 15, despite the partial government shutdown.

Shutdown threatens to delay king crab fishery

In this floor speech, U.S. Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Wash., explains how a continuing government shutdown could cost the Alaska fishing industry millions of dollars.

Red king crab TAC up; Tanner crab to reopen

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game today announced the total allowable catch (TAC) for a couple of important Bering Sea crab fisheries.

The 2013-14 TAC for Bristol Bay red king crab is 8.6 million pounds, up 9.5 percent from last season.

The TAC for Bering Sea Tanner, or bairdi, crab is 3.1 million pounds. The fishery was closed last season.

The crab fisheries are scheduled to open Oct. 15.

However, the federal government shutdown could delay the start of the general fisheries.

That's because the National Marine Fisheries Service must issue individual fishing and processing quotas. And almost everyone in that agency is on furlough.

Ten percent of the crab TACs are reserved for harvest under the Community Development Quota program. The state issues CDQ permits, which therefore will not be delayed.

Government shutdown hits NMFS, council meeting

The partial shutdown of the federal government is sending serious ripples through the commercial fishing world.

Deckboss just got off the line with Jim Balsiger, head of the National Marine Fisheries Service for Alaska, who kindly provided an update on the situation.

First, the North Pacific Fishery Management Council's meeting this week in Anchorage is still on. The 11-member council will convene tomorrow morning at the Hilton hotel downtown.

Normally, a bevy of NMFS staffers attend council meetings, providing reports and expertise, but not this time. Balsiger says he'll be the only NMFS guy in attendance.

That's because nearly all NMFS personnel in Alaska, save Balsiger and a couple of people in Juneau keeping an eye on fishing levels, have been furloughed.

The council still has money for operations, so its own staffers remain on active duty and will support the meeting.

It's possible the council's agenda will change somewhat in terms of pace or content.

The hope, said Balsiger, is the government shutdown will be brief.