Blog.HaulingGear.com Archive (8-2008 to 3-2014)

newsminer.com • Alaska utility prepares for geothermal exploration well Naknek Electric Association, banking on a decade of geothermal research and planning, is preparing to drill an exploration well near King Salmon in a multimillion dollar project with potential to provide power to 28 villages in southwest Alaska. 'We are very excited about the potential geothermal resource and the enormous benefit to our region,' said Donna Vukich, general manager of NEA, which plans to begin drilling this summer, or early fall. The project would be the first utility-grade geothermal development in Alaska. The initial cost estimate for the generation plant and 450 miles of transmission line interconnecting regional villages is $200 million, NEA officials said. With residents of Naknek and King Salmon currently paying 43 cents a kilowatt-hour, the introduction of less................ http://newsminer.com/news/2009/apr/26/utility-prepares-geothermal-exploration-well/

KodiakDailyMirror.com :: Daily newspaper of Kodiak, Alaska : " Palin, Stevens attend ComFish gala dinner Article published on Friday, April 24th, 2009 By BRADLEY ZINT Mirror Writer A gala dinner at the Golden Anchor at the Coast Guard Base celebrated 50 years of Alaska statehood and fishing,Thursday night. The dinner, titled “Look How Far We’ve Come,” featured appearances by Gov. Sarah Palin, Todd Palin and former U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens, who received lifetime membership and an achievement award from the United Fishermen of Alaska. The event was Stevens’ first public appearance after a Washington, D.C., judge dismissed federal charges against him earlier this month. In his remarks, he cited some of his history in writing the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the primary law behind fisheries management in the United States. The........ http://www.kodiakdailymirror.com/?pid=19&id=7518

SitNews: Fish Factor - 50 Years of Alaska's Seafood Industry Celebrated By LAINE WELCH : " 50 Years of Alaska's Seafood Industry Celebrated By LAINE WELCH April 25, 2009 Saturday When it comes to taking pride in Alaska's fisheries, differences are set aside. That proved true at a statehood anniversary celebration last Thursday in Kodiak that highlighted 50 years of Alaska's seafood industry. A remarkable mix of roughly 225 people were lucky enough to get tickets to the event at the Golden Anchor on the U.S. Coast Guard base. It included a seafood smorgasbord, entertainment and a rare chance to rub elbows with special guests- Governor Sarah Palin and Senator Ted Stevens. Senator Stevens arrived early, looking spry and happy. He tirelessly posed for pictures and signed event programs, all the while shaking hands with friends and fans. Stevens was clearly in a 'comfort zone;' he remarked several........ http://www.sitnews.us/LaineWelch/042509_fish_factor.html

Stevens, Palin address fisheries LAINE WELCH FISHERIES Published: April 25th, 2009 05:34 PM Last Modified: April 25th, 2009 05:34 PM" KODIAK -- When it comes to taking pride in Alaska's fisheries, differences are set aside. That proved true at a statehood anniversary celebration Thursday in Kodiak that highlighted 50 years of Alaska's seafood industry. Roughly 225 people attended the event at the Golden Anchor on the Kodiak's Coast Guard base, including special guests Gov. Sarah Palin and former Sen. Ted Stevens. Stevens arrived early, looking spry and....... http://www.adn.com/money/welch/story/772988.html

Stevens back in Alaska, honored by UFA

Comment period opened on charter halibut permits SITKA, ALASKA (04/21/2009) >> Audio

Inmarsat buys Stratos Global - Urgent Communications article Stratos Global, a reseller and integrator of remote communications solutions, last week announced that the company was acquired by satellite-communications provider Inmarsat Finance III Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Inmarsat. Although Stratos Global now is a wholly owned subsidiary of Inmarsat, it will continue to........ http://urgentcomm.com/networks_and_systems/news/inmarsat-buys-stratos-global-20090420/

The Coast Guard rescued five fishermen from the 58-foot fishing vessel Seafarer after it began taking on water Friday in Southeast Alaska.

Petersburg Pilot : " Wrangell and Petersburg set tone for future energy discussions Ryan Long April 16, 2009. WRANGELL – On April 9 a joint meeting was held between the Wrangell Borough Assembly and the Petersburg City Council. On the docket were issues ranging from Ruth Lake, to the Southeast Intertie to medivac planning in the event of an emergency during the Petersburg airport shutdown. The meeting did not bring about any immediate action, rather it gave each side a chance to hear the others’ mind and take back home what they had learned for future discussions. One issue that was not on the agenda was, however, a top priority for nearly everyone who spoke at the meeting: the current state of the relationship between Wrangell and Petersburg. Petersburg’s Mayor Al Dwyer indicated that the relationship between Wrangell and Petersburg has been friendly historically, and should be mended to continue that tradition. “Petersburg and Wrangell have worked together for 30 years through t

KodiakDailyMirror.com :: Daily newspaper of Kodiak, Alaska : Changes announced in herring sac roe openings around Kodiak Article published on Wednesday, April 15th, 2009 DAILY MIRROR STAFF The Kodiak commercial herring sac roe fishery opens today at noon. Due to recent low participation in the fishery by gill-netters, changes were made in how fishing periods will be implemented. The following sections will open for gillnet gear at noon and remain open until further notice: Afognak Districts (Malina Bay and Raspberry Strait); Uyak District (Browns Lagoon, Zachar Bay and Spiridon Bay); Alitak District (Sulua Bay and Lower Olga Bay); Uganik.. http://www.kodiakdailymirror.com/?pid=19&id=7496

KodiakDailyMirror.com :: Daily newspaper of Kodiak, Alaska : " Regional salmon management plan taking shape Article published on Wednesday, April 15th, 2009 By HARRY DODGE Mirror Writer A regional planning team is working to draft a Kodiak regional comprehensive salmon plan. The plan will guide decision makers in future efforts to maintain suitable harvest goals, supplement natural salmon production and to rehabilitate Kodiak salmon stocks. The planning team is comprised of three representatives from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) and three representatives from the Kodiak Regional Aquaculture Association (KRAA). In addition to the six voting members, the team has a non-voting chairman and several ex-officio.. http://www.kodiakdailymirror.com/?pid=19&id=7494

KodiakDailyMirror.com :: Daily newspaper of Kodiak, Alaska : " Fish Tech lab proposed for use by KIBSD students Article published on Tuesday, April 14th, 2009 By BRADLEY ZINT Mirror Writer An underused laboratory at the Fisheries Technology Research Center (FTRC) on Near Island could become an educational lab for Kodiak Island Borough School District (KIBSD) students. Switgard Duesterloh, a former fisheries scientist for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, proposed during Monday night’s KIBSD School Board work session to create a future “ocean sciences discovery lab” from a large storage space at FTRC. Robert Foy, director of FTRC, also supported the idea when Duesterloh proposed it to him in March. Duesterloh said the lab would help fill.. http://www.kodiakdailymirror.com/?pid=19&id=7490

SitNews: Fish Factor - Grow West! By LAINE WELCH : "Grow West! By LAINE WELCH April 06, 2009 Monday Aquatic farming could give a boost to Western Alaska economies, but no one has ever applied. Every two years the state accepts applications for aquatic farm sites from January through April. Currently 66 farms have permits (not all are active), dotting Southeast.... Fishermen and PFDs Falling overboard is a leading cause of death in the most dangerous occupation - commercial fishing. "It doesn't make the big headlines, like when a boat goes down with all hands lost. But these 'one bys' really .... AK2UK First Alaskans, Bristol Bay commercial and sport fishermen, and business owners are off to London to meet this week with top Anglo-American mining officials at the global conglomerate's annual meeting. Anglo American is the developer behind the prop

KodiakDailyMirror.com :: Daily newspaper of Kodiak, Alaska : "Bycatch limits leave most parties unsatisfied Article published on Monday, April 13th, 2009 By HARRY DODGE Mirror Writer The Kodiak Fisheries Advisory Committee met Friday to discuss fishery issues of importance to the city and borough. Duncan Fields reported on actions taken at the recent meeting of the North Pacific Fishery Management Council. The council adopted limited entry restrictions to the fixed-gear Pacific cod fishery in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). Vessels that qualify will receive a cod endorsement to their license limitation program (LLP) licenses. The action was taken in response to perceived threats of over-competition in the fishery in the western and central Gulf. The regulations apply to federal waters but.... http://www.kodiakdailymirror.com/?pid=19&id=7484

Review: Proporta BeachBuoy waterproof case on site in St. Thomas Posted by Matthew Miller @ 11:54 pm A few months ago Proporta sent me the BeachBuoy waterproof case to check out, but it wasn’t until we took a family cruise vacation in February that I had a chance to put it through a real life test. You can check out some photos of the BeachBuoy in my image gallery and also see lots of underwater video shot with my Flip MinoHD placed inside the BeachBuoy as I snorkeled in St. Thomas... I won’t travel to the beach or pool without the BeachBuoy again and highly recommend it for anyone looking to seal up their camera or phone and use it in the elements............... http://blogs.zdnet.com/mobile-gadgeteer/?p=1764

YouTube - If It Ain't Hell, They Ain't Happy - Catch Returns 4/14 @ 9pm ET/PT on Discovery * : "If It Ain't Hell, They Ain't Happy - Catch Returns 4/14 @ 9pm ET/PT on Discovery" details here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lB3SF_b1EhI&feature=yva-video-display and here http://dsc.discovery.com/fansites/deadliestcatch/deadliestcatch.html

Fishermen try out flotation garb: Laine Welch | adn.com : " Fishermen try out flotation garb Laine Welch Fisheries Published: April 12th, 2009 12:51 AM Last Modified: April 12th, 2009 02:40 AM KODIAK -- Falling overboard is a leading cause of death in the most dangerous job -- commercial fishing. "It doesn't make the big headlines, like when a boat goes down with all hands lost. But these 'one-bys' really add up," said Jerry Dzugan, director of the Alaska Marine Safety Education Association. Simply wearing a personal flotation device, or PFD, could save countless lives, but sadly, fishermen resist using them. Safety advocates are trying to change that by having the fishermen field-test new models. "Since 1990 there have been 83 commercial fishermen in Alaska who have died from falls overboard. Many were within minutes of being rescued when they lost strength and drowned. In those cases, it very clearly could have been prevented with a PFD,&q

State rejects endangered-species listing for seabird: Environment | adn.com : "State rejects endangered-species listing for seabird By DAN JOLING The Associated Press Published: April 10th, 2009 12:01 PM Last Modified: April 10th, 2009 12:01 PM JUNEAU -- The Palin administration has rejected a request to list an Alaska seabird as a state endangered species. Fish and Game Commissioner Denby Lloyd said by letter Thursday it would be premature to list Kittlitz's murrelets because there is insufficient information to determine that their numbers have decreased so much that their existence is threatened, the requirement for listing under Alaska law. Center for Biological Diversity biologist Shay Wolfe said the decision ignores surveys that have documented heavy declines of 80 to 90 percent of Kittlitz's murrelets in core..... http://www.adn.com/news/environment/story/755472.html

KodiakDailyMirror.com :: Daily newspaper of Kodiak, Alaska : "F/V Incentive featured on ‘Deadliest Catch’ Article published on Thursday, April 9th, 2009 DAILY MIRROR STAFF" http://www.kodiakdailymirror.com/?pid=19&id=7468

Space: The final frontier for cell phones? - BusinessWeek : By PETER SVENSSON MORE FROM BUSINESSWEEK LAS VEGAS The vast, thinly populated expanses of the country that still lack cell phone coverage could be getting an interesting option next year: ordinary-looking cell phones that connect to a satellite when there's no cell tower around. In June, a rocket is scheduled to lift the largest commercial satellite yet into space. In orbit 22,000 miles above the Earth, the satellite will unfurl an umbrella of gold mesh 60 feet across and aim it at the U.S. That gigantic antenna will let the satellite pick up signals from phones that are not much larger than regular cell phones. That satellite, from TerreStar Corp., is due to be followed by two similar, even larger ones from SkyTerra Communications Inc. next year. SkyTerra puts the cost of its satellites at $1.2 billion. On the face of it, these..... http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D97F6GTG0.htm

Petersburg Pilot : "Public skeptical over new ferries Robert Monteith April 9, 2009. Plans for a new class of ferry in Southeast Alaska were met with skepticism by many in Petersburg. The project design group gave a presentation via teleconference on Tuesday as part of the stakeholders input process. While still in the early stages, the plans so far call for a vessel that would operate as a day boat to make connections between Southeast and Southcentral coastal communities within eight hours of each other. To accommodate passengers there would be “business class” seating, food available, and flat screen monitors with information about the surrounding area. But creature comforts weren’t on the minds of those who chose to give comments after the presentation. The small group, which consisted of many former AMHS employees and commercial fishermen, were. http://www.petersburgpilot.com/www/stories/040909ferries.htm

KodiakDailyMirror.com :: Daily newspaper of Kodiak, Alaska : " Kodiak sea otters stable Article published on Tuesday, April 7th, 2009 By HARRY DODGE Mirror Writer The sea otter has long been a symbol of the Alaska marine environment. The quest for valuable sea otter pelts in the 18th century fueled Russian colonialism in Kodiak and Alaska. Sea otters evolved initially in northern Japan and Russia and spread east to the Aleutian Islands, Mainland Alaska and as far south as the Baja California Peninsula in Mexico. Over-exploitation by Russian, American and British hunting parties reduced their numbers from an estimated 150,000-300,000 to just 1,000-2,000 animals by the early 1900s. An..... http://www.kodiakdailymirror.com/?pid=19&id=7460

Fisheries council votes for salmon bycatch cap: Commerical Fishing | adn.com Fisheries council votes for salmon bycatch cap POLLOCK: Unprecedented move is designed to return more fish to the rivers, but both sides are skeptical. By KYLE HOPKINS khopkins@adn.com Published: April 6th, 2009 10:22 PM Last Modified: April 6th, 2009 10:22 PM A powerful council that oversees the massive pollock fishing industry in the Bering Sea voted Monday night to place an unprecedented cap on the number of salmon that pollock fishermen accidentally kill each year. The decision by the North Pacific Fishery Management Council strikes at a debate that's boiled among Alaska fishermen for years: whether the pollock industry is inadvertently leaving Western Alaska villages without enough king salmon in their rivers. It's a huge question. Hanging in the balance are an industry that catches billions of pounds of pollock a year to make everything from fish sticks to imitation crab meat, and the cult

From the National Geographic Youtube channel  http://www.youtube.com/user/NationalGeographic The Biggest Catch In combat fishing there are winners and losers -- and this time, the winners really hit the herring jackpot. Exclusive video of the 2009 season from HaulingGear.com Video 1 Video 2

Pollock vs. salmon bycatch issue stirs waters at meeting: Commerical Fishing | adn.com : " Pollock vs. salmon bycatch issue stirs waters at meeting FISHERIES: More than 200 people plan to testify before council. By KYLE HOPKINS khopkins@adn.com Published: April 3rd, 2009 11:54 PM Last Modified: April 3rd, 2009 11:54 PM A whale of a fish fight hit Anchorage this weekend and it's all about big numbers: Billions of pounds of pollock are caught each year in the Bering Sea as part of one of the world's largest fisheries. But in cash-poor Western Alaska villages, where fuel prices approached $10 a gallon this winter, local fishermen said the pollock fleet is accidently catching and killing far too many of the salmon that the region counts on for food and money. Now, more than 200 people have signed up to testify over the next several days at the Hilton Anchorage hotel, where the clash has come to a head at a meeting of the North Pacific Fishery Management Council. Friday,

Electronista | AT&T to launch TerreStar 3G/satellite phone this year : "Friday, April 3rd" AT&T to launch TerreStar 3G/satellite phone this year AT&T has plans to launch a hybrid cellphone capable of both 3G and satellite connections sometime in 2009, reports say. Working in conjunction with TerreStar , a provider of voice and data networks via satellite, the branded handset will have coverage in the mainland US as well as Canada, Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. It is being marketed mainly at travelers and sailors, who would not otherwise receive a signal in many areas. TerreStar is also planning to sell its services to the government once it..... http://www.electronista.com/articles/09/04/03/att.terrestar.phone/

"Web posted Friday, April 3, 2009 Southeast fishermen to vote on cooperative By Margaret Bauman Alaska Journal of Commerce Ballot mailings will begin in the end of April to some 475 drift gillnet permit holders asking them if they want to form a regional seafood development association for Southeast Alaska. A second mailing, to be sure all permit holders get their ballots, is set for the end of May. Backers of the Southeast Alaska Rainforest Wild RSDA, meanwhile, have begun a series of informal meetings with drift gillnet permit holders in Juneau, Haines, Petersburg, Wrangell and Ketchikan, said Elizabeth Dubovsky, the association's acting executive director. The fleet has a June 16 deadline to get their ballots in. Approval is dependent on at least 30 percent of the..... http://www.alaskajournal.com/stories/040309/fis_fisheries002.shtml

KodiakDailyMirror.com :: Daily newspaper of Kodiak, Alaska : " KEA candidates look to wind, tidal energy Article published on Wednesday, April 1st, 2009 By HARRY DODGE Mirror Writer Three seats on the Kodiak Electric Association (KEA) board of directors are up for election, and four candidates squared off Tuesday night at a public forum. Three incumbents, Cliff Davidson, Mike Brechan and Stosh Anderson, are seeking re-election, and Scott Arndt is challenging for one of the available seats. Stosh Anderson has served on the board for the past eight years. He has commercially fished and been a boat owner for 30 years. “Energy isn’t a Kodiak problem. It’s a national problem. The KEA board has....... http://www.kodiakdailymirror.com/?pid=19&id=7437

CNN Political Ticker: All politics, all the time Blog Archive - Todd Palin: McCain family ‘a class act’ « - Blogs from CNN.com : "'Please. I mean these are my Sunday go-to-meeting jeans! We're just the opposite of all that, more like, 'Man, you better clean up.' Me, anyway.' Despite the rough waters, he stressed that he and his wife are hardly political neophytes. 'You got to remember, it’s not like they just plucked us off the fishing boat with scales still under our nails, you know?,' he said. 'My wife’s been in politics a long time. We’ve been through some tough campaigns... http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/04/01/todd-palin-mccain-family-a-class-act/

A fishy subcommittee hearing - Anne Schroeder Mullins - POLITICO.com : " Speeches, charts, documents — this is the type of stuff we expect to be submitted in committee records. But smelt? Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) apparently made...... http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0309/20737.html

Court sides with power plants over fish: Nation | adn.com : Court sides with power plants over fish By MARK SHERMAN / Associated Press Writer Published: April 1st, 2009 06:26 AM Last Modified: April 1st, 2009 07:32 AM WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that the government may consider cost in deciding whether to order power plants to undertake environmental upgrades that would protect fish. The court's 6-3 decision is a defeat for environmentalists who had urged the justices to uphold a favorable federal appeals court ruling that could have required an estimated 554 power plants to.... http://www.adn.com/nation/story/743963.html

KodiakDailyMirror.com :: Daily newspaper of Kodiak, Alaska : City to take a stand at fishery meeting Article published on Tuesday, March 31st, 2009 By HARRY DODGE Mirror Writer Kodiak City Council member Jack Maker will attend the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC) meeting in Anchorage this week to express the city council’s opposition to an amendment package that would create a limited entry program for the Pacific cod fixed gear fishery. NPFMC will decide whether or not to add Pacific cod endorsements to western and central Gulf of Alaska fixed gear (pot and longline gear types) License Limitation Program (LLP) licenses. If the measure is adopted, cod.... http://www.kodiakdailymirror.com/?pid=19&id=7433

Southeast chinook quota is up again - Juneau Empire : " Southeast chinook quota is up again Juneau Empire Wednesday, April 01, 2009 Story last updated at 4/1/2009 - 9:49 am After years of decline, there's some better news for Southeast's chinook salmon fishery: Stocks are up, and so is this year's quota. Southeast Alaska's ..... http://juneauempire.com/stories/040109/loc_420719125.shtml