Higher quotas spawn need for cleaner groundfish fishing

So says the Bristol bay Times:

http://thebristolbaytimes.com/article/1125higher_quotas_spawn_need_for_cleaner

Keep yer flippers wet.

Balsiger Is Compromised

About that vote to increase the GOA king salmon bycatch cap...

"Balsiger's enthusiasm over the final package — he called it a "fabulous step" — was a sharp contrast against Campbell's disappointment and raised a few eyebrows in the room because Balsiger's wife, Heather McCarty, has repeatedly lobbied the council on behalf of Kodiak processor Pacific Seafoods for the least restrictive cap possible."

Good journalism here:  http://alaskajournal.com/stories/061711/fis_gccsa.shtml

Balsiger should immediately resign.  He should have recused himself.  Who can doubt the Council's corrupted condition with such behavior?  Where is Eric Schwaab's leadership.  Jane Lubchenko?  So they approve of this kind of behavior by their caporegimes?

NMFS...No More Fish Sorry.

Keep yer flippers wet.

NPFMC Votes Hard Cap on King Salmon

Draggers only managed to get an additional 2,500 added to the cap, but the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council vote for 25,000 is still better than the 30,000 bycatch king salmon kill the draggers wanted.  

The State of Alaska showed it was concerned with king salmon trawl bycatch, as ADFG Commissioner Cora Campbell made the motion for the Council's preferred alternative of 22,500 kings for the bycatch cap, backed by Duncan Fields, and Sam Cotten.  This was amended to 25,000 kings when Dan Hull, Ed Dersham, and Jim Balsiger failed to stand for Alaska and sided with the draggers and their processor allies.  The other Council members...well, you know.

From the Bristol Bay Times: First-ever king cap placed on Gulf of Alaska pollock fishery

Interestingly, the dragger testimony, in a thinly veiled argument for the Council to move toward 'rationalization' of the Gulf of Alaska groundfish, complained that they couldn't do better in controlling bycatch because of rogue captains who would not comply with conservation efforts.  So perceptions that the drag fleet is out of control have been publicly confessed to be true.  Draggers must be made to follow the rule of law.  The Council must regulate the drag fleet.

Keep yer flippers wet.

Does NOAA/NMFS Care About King Salmon Bycatch?

News Update:

"Chinook bycatch: The industry is making a concerted pitch to increase the cap to 30,000. The AP selected a 30,000 cap over the preferred alternative but a strong minority report will help neutralize the AP’s effect.

"Eric Olson is not here because of a family emergency so Alaska is missing a key vote. The swing vote is NOAA's Jim Balsiger."

Or Dan Hull, who is unconvinced that 22,500 give the draggers enough kings as bycatch in the GOA.

Keep yer flippers wet.

Rumours are that recently, the Pacific Star, dragging rockfish, observer onboard, using bottom drag, nailed the halibut big time.  So much halibut in fact as to piss off the other dragger because it potentially closes off some quota access.  We'll see if this surfaces officially.  Another example of the Rockfish Pilot Program's great potential? 

With no observer aboard, the Golden Fleas has been spending a lot of time hammering away on the flats off Chiniak.  Halibut boats nearby are getting lots of small halibut too, so the unobserved Golden Fleas (special exemption) must be helping reduce the abundance of small halibut in the GOA.  Time to collar the secretive Golden Fleas.  Unobserved solitary draggers are scarier than whole fleets, since they are more capable of secrecy.

"(ii) Amendment 80 vessels in the GOA processors. Except for the F/V GOLDEN FLEECE (USCG Documentation Number 609951), all Amendment 80 vessels, except when directed fishing for scallops using dredge gear, in the GOA must have onboard at least one NMFS-certified observer for each day that the vessel is used to harvest, receive, or process groundfish in the GOA management areas or adjacent waters open by the State of Alaska for which it adopts a Federal fishing season."

Why? Who arranged that exception, and for how much cash?  Uncle Ted or Yon Dung?

State of Alaska's backbone on King salmon bycatch by GOA pollock draggers appears to be weakening.  Julie and her gang have been banging out their statistical bullshit to some affect, claiming 'stranded quota' of pollock trumps King salmon damage by GOA draggers.  This is a free admission that the drag fleet is incapable of controlling themselves or their bycatch.  Isn't that why we have laws?  'Stranded quota' should never be an argument for allowing wasteful behavior.

Warm fuzzies and wet smoochie kisses to all the fat spinning spiders for getting the food banks involved in covering the sins of the drag fleet.  This feel good program does perhaps pass on a fraction of the otherwise groundup high value bycatch to hungry people, but it diffuses the outrage at that waste, and so is an enemy of good management. 

Starting in August, more fish will be delivered from the Gulf of Alaska.
"A lot of the processors who work in the Bering Sea also work in the Gulf," said Jim Harmon, Sea Share director. "They came to us earlier this year and said, 'We want to provide more fish to hunger relief, and we want to include the "prohibited species catch" we get in the Gulf pollock fishery.'"

Thieves, who give their victims' bodies to beggars, are still thieves.

Keep yer flippers wet.

Last Call for King Salmon Comments as PSC Totals Continue to Mount

The June meeting of the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council is coming up shortly (June 6-14 in Nome), and this is your last opportunity to write a letter to the NPFMC regarding king salmon bycatch in the Gulf of Alaska.

"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.

Halibut Bycatch by Longliners Targeting Sablefish

All gear groups must be held responsible for their bycatch.  The latest stats from the NMFS (http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/2011/pscinfo.htm) reveal that the observed longliners (over 60 feet) targeting sablefish, are catching (and releasing) very large percentages of halibut. 

• Clipper Surprise had 64% halibut bycatch in 6 observed hauls
• Clipper Epic had 61% halibut bycatch in 5 observed hauls
• Baranof had 47% halibut bycatch in 8 observed hauls
• Evening Star had 33% bycatch in 15 observed hauls

While longlined halibut are not killed outright, like most trawl bycatch,  "...injuries are most frequently caused by improper release methods used by vessel crews. Other significant factors include the length of the soak time, which can exacerbate the mortality caused by hooking injuries and also increase the potential for amphipod predation."  Soak time is an underdiscussed issue for vessels targeting halibut, as well, since long soak times are especially lethal on undersize fish, with regard to sand fleas and other predation. If the NPFMC is going to revisit PSC bycatch for trawlers, they also need to examine the unacceptable levels of bycatch by the autobaiting longline fleet, limiting soak time for halibut longlines, the impact of early halibut openings on the late season spawning halibut.  

The last two issues are under the purview of the IPHC, but a good kick in the pants by the NPFMC won't hurt to help the IPHC re-examine their season timing with the changes going on in the Gulf as a result of the climatic shifts we are seeing.

Keep yer flippers wet.

Dirty Dozen Halibut Trawlers

NOAA sources (http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/2011/pscinfo.htm) show that the GOA non-pelagic draggers are continuing to damage halibut stocks at unacceptable levels.  The Chellissa, bottom dragging for pollock, is thus far the worst offender, killing 31 % of her total pollock poundage in halibut.  Fishing this dirty is criminal behavior.  The fact so few of these drags are observed more than likely means this wastage of the halibut resource is only the tip of the iceberg.  

Arrowtooth is a worthless fish, "This is the nastiest fish I have ever tasted!" (http://www.alaskadispatch.com/article/alaska-flatfish-pudding-now-wal-mart-near-you), for which the highest price fish in the GOA is being wasted.  Apparently draggers can make a dime off of it by delivering the bycatch of other species like cod, to support fishing arrowtooth.  

The NPFMC will not consider halibut bycatch at their June meeting in Nome, but have moved to consider alternatives to push back halibut bycatch by 5, 10, or 15%. http://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/npfmc/current_issues/halibut_issues/halibutPSCmotion411.pdf  Obviously these proposed reductions to halibut bycatch are far too small to have any real effect on the decline of halibut and the criminal waste of this high value resource.

1. Chellissa  dragging pollock  took 31% halibut in 6 observed tows
2. Pacific Star dragging arrowtooth took 17% halibut in 9 observed tows
3. Cape Kiwanda dragging cod took 16% halibut in 3 observed tows
4. American No 1 dragging arrowtooth took 15% halibut in 5 observed tows
5. Caravelle dragging arrowtooth took 13% halibut in 7 observed tows
6. Ocean Alaska dragging arrowtooth took 11% halibut in 7 observed tows
7. Michelle Rene dragging cod took 10% halibut in 16 observed tows
8. Miss Sarah dragging cod took 9% halibut in 3 observed tows
9. Sea Mac dragging cod took 9% halibut in 13 observed tows
10. Vaerdal dragging rex sole took 8% halibut in 18 observed tows
11. Ocean Alaska dragging arrowtooth took 8% halibut in 11 observed tows
12. Peggy Jo dragging cod took 8% halibut in 15 observed tows

Keep yer flippers wet.

In Case You Didn't Hear…

http://www.alaskanewspapers.com/article.php?article=1118federal_subsistence_board_wants_lower_salmon


 “Members of the Federal Subsistence Board …voted at its May 3-4 meeting in Anchorage to recommend a hard cap of 15,000 king salmon caught as bycatch in the Gulf of Alaska Pollock fishery, and a hard cap of 50,000 chum salmon in the Bering Sea pollock fishery.”
Although the subsistence board is no friend of mine (allowing the ‘take’ of sealions by Alaska Natives) they see that the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council’s  preferred alternative for the limit on king salmon bycatch is not tough enough, and represents the status quo, not an effective cutback on the waste of this resource.  Final action is scheduled for June.

Keep yer flippers wet.

NOAA Halibut and Chinook Mortality Report Ending April 16th

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NOAA Mortality Link  Multiply halibut numbers times 2200lbs!

As you can clearly see, the draggers are pounding the hell out of the halibut and king salmon in these screen shots of the extrapolated observed numbers, (heavily gamed as they are).  These represent, at best, hints of the destruction going on in the Gulf of Alaska.  My advice: SCREAM at the agency, the governor, your senators and representatives, and the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council, and bring down the house.  Just saying...if you want a future.  Do it.  Your discouragement is an ally to the draggers.

Here is the NPFMC contact information.  Most important is to contact the Alaska delegation, voting members, and James Balsiger.  The outsiders don't care what you say, really!

Keep yer flippers wet.