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#07-27-2013 - ComFish News Roundup

South Central Fishermen Concerned Over Proposed Halibut Catch Share Plan (video)
By Samantha Angaiak
Channel 2 News
5:35 p.m. AKDT, July 26, 2013
ANCHORAGE, Alaska—
Tension has been mounting in south central Alaska among commercial fishermen and charter operators concerned about new rules in a proposed plan by the national Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to implement a halibut catch share plan. The North Pacific Fishery Management Council says the goal of the halibut catch share plan is to adjust the percentage of allocation of halibut between the charter sector and the commercial fishery to reflect more recent catch patterns. Chris Oliver, the executive director of North Pacific Management Council, says he hopes the new plan will.... http://www.ktuu.com/south-central-fishermen-concerned-over-proposed-halibut-catch-share-plan-20130726,0,228104.story

Kenai king fishing to close Sunday
http://peninsulaclarion.com

For second year, record low escapement prompts Fish and Game closure
Posted: July 26, 2013 - 4:56pm  |  Updated: July 26, 2013 - 7:03pm
By Rashah McChesney
Staff Writer
After a brief stint in catch-and-release fishing, the Kenai River will close to king salmon fishing beginning Sunday morning at 12:01 a.m. through the remainder of July. Managers do not project making the final sustainable escapement goal of 15,000 to 30,000 king salmon in the Kenai River according to the emergency order released by...... http://peninsulaclarion.com/news/2013-07-26/kenai-king-fishing-to-close-sunday

Nav/Com: What's New in Bridge Electronics
August 1, 2013
Suppliers of marine electronics, communication services and navigation software continue to advance technologies that make fishing more productive and efficient while keeping the end-user experience as easy as possible. Furuno introduced the GP1670F and GP1870F, part of the 5.7” and 7” Chart Plotter series, last spring. Jeff Kauzlaric, Advertising and Communications Manager, reports that both of these units can be used for small to mid-sized commercial vessels and have the Furuno Fish Finder built-in. “You can rig it as a 600-W or 1-kW Fish Finder, and it also includes a couple of our newest features, Bottom Discrimination and Accu-Fish,” he says. When connected to an appropriate transducer, the Bottom Discrimination feature provides a graphical display showing the characteristics of the seafloor as either mud, sand, gravel or rock. This works well, especially when bottom fishing when..... http://www.fishermensnews.com/story/2013/08/01/features/navcom-whatandaposs-new-in-bridge-electronics/192.html

Davidson leaves ‘full-court press’ at ADF&G
kcaw.org

by Robert Woolsey, KCAW
July 26, 2013 12:55 pm
One of the top Fish & Game officials in Southeast is stepping down, after 23 years helping manage the area’s commercial fisheries. Bill Davidson is the regional management coordinator based in Sitka. His last day on the job is July 31. Davidson stopped by the studios of KCAW to talk about his life and times in the commercial fisheries division...... http://www.kcaw.org/2013/07/26/davidson-leaves-full-court-press-at-adfg/

New Seiner for Adamant Fisheries
August 1, 2013
fishermensnews.com
Platypus Marine has delivered a new 58-foot trawler/seiner, the F/V Adamant, to Petersburg, Alaska’s Adamant fisheries. The new boat, designed by prolific fishing boat designers Hockema & Whalen Associates, was built within fourteen months from the ground up at the Platypus yard in Port Angeles, Washington. The new boat will seine, trawl and pot fish, and Yaquina Boat Equipment will provide trawl equipment for the fall after the seine season. Platypus Marine has a long history of repairing, upgrading or building new 58-foot seiners, and Adamant Fisheries has been a client for more than 20 years. The new boat, to be operated by Adamant Fisheries principals Mike Neuneker and Kyle Franklin, will join a sister boat, also designed by Hockema & Whalen, the....... http://www.fishermensnews.com/story/2013/08/01/features/new-seiner-for-adamant-fisheries/195.html

Tustumena Fails Shipyard Inspection Again
kucb.org

By Stephanie Joyce
Friday, July 26 2013
Facing further delays in shipyard, the state has canceled the Tustumena’s sailings for the rest of the summer. Department of Transportation spokesperson Jeremy Woodrow says welding work on the ship’s hull once again failed a Coast Guard inspection. “Because those welds haven’t met the standards, the Coast Guard..... http://kucb.org/news/article/tustumena-fails-shipyard-inspection-again/

1:54 PM FRI JULY 26, 2013
The Pebble Mine is Garnering Attention from Members of Congress
By MIKE MASON
The EPA’s Bristol Bay Watershed Assessment and the idea of utilizing a section of the federal “Clean Water Act” to stop the proposed Pebble Mine came up during a U.S. Senate hearing on Tuesday. KDLG’s Mike Mason listened in and filed this report.... http://kdlg.org/post/pebble-mine-garnering-attention-members-congress


Gulkana Hatchery Prepares for Egg Take as Floodwaters Subside
August 1, 2013
Floodwaters that damaged the work site of fish hatchery that is a major contributor to the Copper River salmon fishery have subsided, workers there have finished cleaning incubators and are ready for the annual salmon egg take. All the incubators are cleaned up and staff at the Gulkana Hatchery, a state owned facility leased to Prince William Sound Aquaculture Corp., were prepared to begin the egg take, which.... http://www.fishermensnews.com/story/2013/08/01/features/gulkana-hatchery-prepares-for-egg-take-as-floodwaters-subside/193.html

4:51 PM FRI JULY 26, 2013
Bristol Bay Fisheries Report for Friday, July 26
By MIKE MASON
The Bristol Bay Fisheries Report for Friday, July 26th includes an update on the effort to lighter the fuel off the sunken tender Lone Star and a report on how things are shaping up in the Togiak District. We also have a report on how several fishermen feel about their 2013 season. All of that and more in the Friday, July 26th Bristol Bay Fisheries Report..... http://kdlg.org/post/bristol-bay-fisheries-report-friday-july-26

Tragedy and Courage on the Bering Sea
By Rosemarie Alexander
Posted on July 26, 2013 at 10:59 am
One of the most riveting stories of disaster and bravery at sea is now a television documentary, being broadcast this week on KTOO’s 360 North. Tragedy and Courage on the Bering Sea, by filmmaker John Sabella, recounts the fire that destroyed the Fishing / Processing Vessel Galaxy in 2002.  The story is told.... http://www.ktoo.org/2013/07/26/tragedy-and-courage-on-the-bering-sea-2/

Alaska and Arctic shipping: boon or boondoggle?
Mia BennettEye on the Arctic
July 26, 2013
At a symposium earlier this month on the Impacts of an Ice-Diminishing Arctic held in Washington, D.C., Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski asserted, “When it comes to circumpolar navigation in the Arctic, regardless of which route is taken – the Northern Sea Route, the Northwest Passage, or perhaps across the pole if we see an ice-free summer -- they all converge on one end at the Bering Strait between Russia and Alaska.”.... http://www.alaskadispatch.com/article/20130726/alaska-and-arctic-shipping-boon-or-boondoggle

Spreading Sustainable Seafood Practices Overseas
Posted by Mary Ellen Smith, Agricultural Counselor, Foreign Agricultural Service, The Hague, Netherlands, on blogs.usda.gov - July 26, 2013 at 2:00 PM 
Last month, the Foreign Agricultural Service office in The Hague, Netherlands, partnered with the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute to highlight the institute’s commitment to sustainable fishing and introduce its new sustainability certification.

There is a growing interest among European consumers in sustainable seafood. Many European retailers require their suppliers to demonstrate that their products don’t deplete ocean fisheries.

On June 11, about 40 leading Dutch seafood industry and government representatives attended a seminar to learn about Alaskan seafood industry practices, including a new certification process. The new process is based on a United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization model that is less expensive compared to others and meets the highest UN benchmarks for credible certification.

Currently, many European retailers require a different sustainability certification that is widely accepted throughout Europe. However, Dutch retailers are open to other certifications that are equivalent or better than existing methods. Since the Netherlands is the gateway to Europe for U.S. seafood exports, this could help keep Alaskan seafood on retail shelves in Europe and prevent retailers from sourcing seafood from other places.

The Netherlands is the sixth largest market for U.S. seafood products, purchasing more than $180 million in 2012. Alaska is responsible for roughly half of total U.S. seafood exports to the Netherlands. A popular Alaskan seafood export to the region is frozen fillets of Alaska Pollock, which is used in the Netherlands to make a local delicacy called “kibbeling.” Other top exports include salmon, cod, black cod and halibut.

ASMI, a USDA industry partner, received funding for the seminar through the Market Access Program. The event is just one example of how FAS helps farmers, ranchers and fishermen build and maintain commercial markets for U.S. food and agricultural products around the world.