"Written comments and materials to be included in Council meeting notebooks must be received at the Council office by 5:00 pm (Alaska Time) on TUESDAY May 31, 2011. Written and oral comments should include a statement of the source and date of information provided as well as a brief description of the background and interests of the person(s) submitting the statement. Comments can be sent by mail or fax—please do not submit comments by e-mail." Address your letters to Eric Olson, Chair, Fax 907 271 2817.
Call Governor Sean Parnell's office and voice your concern as well, as this is a state's rights issue over our fisheries. http://gov.alaska.gov/parnell/contact/email-the-governor.html
As you can see from the PSC catch information below, the GOA draggers are on schedule to exceed the proposed cap again this year. It is important that the cap on king salmon be implemented ASAP and be held to at least the 22,500 fish as listed in the Councils' preferred alternative.
Don't put it off, your input has convinced the NPFMC to begin a review of the terrible bycatch waste in the GOA by draggers, and perhaps we can sustain this forward momentum, but only through your involvement. It has been years since the NPFMC has taken a hard look at the waste of resources in the GOA. You have finally moved them. Next we'll push them to stop the killing off of our halibut by these same irresponsible draggers.
A dragger crewman's account available at: http://www.alaskacafe.blogspot.com/
Find out more about the Council's meeting agenda at :http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/Agendas/611Agenda.pdf
Listen in to the proceedings: http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/audio.pdf
Keep yer flippers wet.
8 comments:
a trawl crewman's account-
http://www.alaskacafe.blogspot.com/
Thanks. Duly posted.
1 thousand small boat fisherman in bristol bay.
Why not 1 thousand small boat fisherman in Kodiak!?
So when do we get to testify about the real problems? King salmon bycatch is nothing compared to Halibut! Think it might be better to save breath for the real travesty.
One thousand fishermen in Bristol Bay? Wait 'til Pebble mine gets rolling, there'll maybe be a hundred.
Real Problems? King salmon is not a real problem? Pull yer head out. Bycatch of ANY species is a real problem, not just the bycatch of the fish you like. Dragging is DAMAGING the GOA and it needs to end, unless they can fish clean of bycatch and clear of the bottom.
By volume unobserved King Salmon bycatch is a fraction of Halibut. Where there might be 100 kings caught in a bad tow mid water fishing, a bad tow sole fishing can result in 40,000 pounds of Halibut going overboard. More and more of the TAC for these groundfish species (sole) are being harvested as a result of the lowered Halibut stocks. Pretty soon the damage will be done. Just watch as a few draggers intentionally wipe out the Halibut.
Rumours, just rumours, but huge tows of kings have occurred off Spruce Island and in Uyak, unobserved except by crew. But I agree with you. Outrageous! We have heard of draggers dropping down on halibut brood grounds and when asked about it replied, "The sooner they're gone the sooner this will be opened up."
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