Thursday's 12-hour season opener at the Copper River produced an estimated catch of 27,700 sockeye salmon and 1,000 Chinook, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game reports.
The department had anticipated a catch of 33,000 sockeye for the period.
Deckboss hasn't heard any price reports but reckons the fish paid handsomely, as they always do at the start of the season.
The Copper River District will open at 7 a.m. Monday for another 12-hour period.
Sunday, May 18, 2014
The MSC merry-go-round
Back in November, the London-based Marine Stewardship Council said Alaska salmon had earned recertification as a sustainable and well-managed fishery (except for Prince William Sound).
The MSC "client" securing the recertification was the Purse Seine Vessel Owners' Association, a Seattle-based fishing group.
PSVOA, you'll recall, stepped in after most of Alaska's major salmon processors in 2012 decided to pull out of the MSC program.
Well, now the matter has taken yet another twist.
A notice posted May 6 on the MSC website said PSVOA "has withdrawn as the MSC client for this fishery."
The new client, the notice said, is the Alaska Salmon Processors Association.
Never heard of it, you say?
That's because it's very new. State records show the Alaska Salmon Processors Association is a nonprofit corporation formed on April 10.
Four persons are listed as officers in the association. All are connected with processors who apparently see some market value in continuing with the MSC ecolabel.
Here's a rundown of the four officers:
Robert Zuanich, Sitka, president
Affiliated with Silver Bay Seafoods LLC
Cassandra Squibb, Anchorage, vice president
Affiliated with Copper River Seafoods Inc.
Joe Kelso, Seattle, secretary
Affiliated with Ekuk Fisheries LLC
Norman Kilborn, Kodiak, treasurer
Affiliated with International Seafoods of Alaska Inc.
The MSC "client" securing the recertification was the Purse Seine Vessel Owners' Association, a Seattle-based fishing group.
PSVOA, you'll recall, stepped in after most of Alaska's major salmon processors in 2012 decided to pull out of the MSC program.
Well, now the matter has taken yet another twist.
A notice posted May 6 on the MSC website said PSVOA "has withdrawn as the MSC client for this fishery."
The new client, the notice said, is the Alaska Salmon Processors Association.
Never heard of it, you say?
That's because it's very new. State records show the Alaska Salmon Processors Association is a nonprofit corporation formed on April 10.
Four persons are listed as officers in the association. All are connected with processors who apparently see some market value in continuing with the MSC ecolabel.
Here's a rundown of the four officers:
Robert Zuanich, Sitka, president
Affiliated with Silver Bay Seafoods LLC
Cassandra Squibb, Anchorage, vice president
Affiliated with Copper River Seafoods Inc.
Joe Kelso, Seattle, secretary
Affiliated with Ekuk Fisheries LLC
Norman Kilborn, Kodiak, treasurer
Affiliated with International Seafoods of Alaska Inc.
Saturday, May 17, 2014
Ho, look at that halibut bycatch!
The North Pacific Fishery Management Council is scheduled to meet June 2-10 in Nome.
One item on the agenda is this report from the International Pacific Halibut Commission on halibut bycatch in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands.
Deckboss perused the paper, and frankly came away with only one useful fact:
BSAI halibut bycatch was an estimated 5.2 million pounds in 2013.
Sound like a lot? Actually, this was the second-lowest level of halibut bycatch since 1985 (see Table 2 on page 20).
One item on the agenda is this report from the International Pacific Halibut Commission on halibut bycatch in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands.
Deckboss perused the paper, and frankly came away with only one useful fact:
BSAI halibut bycatch was an estimated 5.2 million pounds in 2013.
Sound like a lot? Actually, this was the second-lowest level of halibut bycatch since 1985 (see Table 2 on page 20).
How the Moonlight Maid met her demise
Here's a marine accident brief from the National Transportation Safety Board on the sinking of the salmon tender Moonlight Maid.
The boat was transiting from Seward to Kodiak in heavy seas on Sept. 20, 2012, when she "sprung a plank and began flooding," the report says.
The crew of four abandoned ship into a life raft, and a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter hoisted them to safety.
The NTSB report says "inadequate maintenance of the aging wooden vessel," a former Navy subchaser built in 1942, contributed to the hull failure.
A very interesting report here, with excellent photos.
The boat was transiting from Seward to Kodiak in heavy seas on Sept. 20, 2012, when she "sprung a plank and began flooding," the report says.
The crew of four abandoned ship into a life raft, and a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter hoisted them to safety.
The NTSB report says "inadequate maintenance of the aging wooden vessel," a former Navy subchaser built in 1942, contributed to the hull failure.
A very interesting report here, with excellent photos.
Weighing changes
The National Marine Fisheries Service was to hold a public workshop yesterday in Seattle on proposed changes to, among other things, prevent tampering with scales used to weigh catches at sea.
Hmmm. Wonder if American Seafoods attended?
Hmmm. Wonder if American Seafoods attended?
Thursday, May 15, 2014
Fuel spill reported in Nushagak River
Thousands of gallons of diesel reportedly spilled into the Nushagak River upstream of Dillingham after a barging vessel hit a submerged object early Wednesday.
Here's a situation report with more details and a map.
Here's a situation report with more details and a map.
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
It's all over at Togiak
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game today closed the Togiak herring fishery for the season.
The catch totaled 25,136 tons, or better than 90 percent of the preseason quota of 27,890 tons.
The catch totaled 25,136 tons, or better than 90 percent of the preseason quota of 27,890 tons.
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