Alaska Archives - Page 145 of 281

Study documents ‘climate shock’ to Dungeness crab fishery

January 8, 2021 — The North Pacific marine heat wave of 2014 to 2016 and subsequent algae bloom severely tested California fishing communities dependent on Dungeness crab – and demonstrated how they could adapt to sudden climate changes, according to a new study by West Coast scientists.

The bloom produced high levels of the biotoxin domoic acid, forcing a delay in the 2015-2016 crab season when “roughly two-thirds of all vessels stopped fishing temporarily while others switched to different fisheries or moved to more favorable locations,” according to a summary from Oregon State University, where researchers worked with colleagues at the University of Washington and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Northwest Fisheries Science Center.

The study used network analysis to examine impacts from the season delays across fisheries, and understand how seven affected fishing communities responded, according to James Watson, one of the study’s co-authors and an assistant professor at OSU’s College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences.

Read the full story at National Fisherman

Bering Sea buyout: Western Alaska coalition now owns 3 percent of crab quota

January 8, 2021 — A coalition of 30 communities, the Coastal Villages Region Fund and the Bristol Bay Economic Development Corporation has come together to buy the Seattle-based Mariner Companies.

Through the agreement, the Mariner Companies will sell crab quota valued at $35 million to the communities in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta and Bristol Bay regions. The Coastal Villages Region Fund and the Bristol Bay Economic Development Corp., both of which participate in Alaska’s community development quota program, provided support to the communities to purchase the quota, and will support the harvest through their fishing operations.

The Bristol Bay Economic Development Corp. is a longstanding parter in the Mariner Companies. This deal will expand its ownership to 100 percent of four crab boats — the Aleutian Mariner, Bristol Mariner, Nordic Mariner and Pacific Mariner. Coastal Villages will purchase the Arctic Mariner, Cascade Mariner and Western Mariner.

Read the full story at National Fisherman

ALASKA: UniSea Under Partial Lockdown While City Determines If COVID-19 Positives Indicate Community Spread

January 8, 2021 — UniSea is under partial lockdown and has shut down all non-essential work after four employees of the processing plant tested positive for COVID-19 Tuesday.

Four “non-quarantined” individuals complained of not feeling well and were taken to the Iliuliuk Family and Health Services clinic where they tested positive, according to UniSea President and CEO Tom Enlow.

“This raised our risk level to ‘high’ and we sent everyone to their housing quarters and basically shut down non-essential work,” he told KUCB in a statement Wednesday. “We have restricted movement outside of our campus to only essential travel, such as to the clinic or for supplies.”

The processing plant worked with clinic staff on contact tracing, and identified roughly 50 close contacts who are being tested at the clinic Wednesday, according to Enlow. He said they are working to determine if the virus was contained to a “small group” that gathered to celebrate the New Year or whether the positive cases are indicative of more widespread community transmission. All four of the people who later tested positive attended the New Year gathering.

Read the full story at KUCB

NPFMC February meeting via webconference

January 8, 2021 — The following was released by the North Pacific Fishery Management Council:

The NPFMC will hold meetings February 1-12, 2021, via webconference. The eAgenda, Schedule, and a list of when documents will be available are now posted. Please note the SSC has a separate SSC eAgenda. More detailed information is available on our website.

You can submit and review comments for each agenda item through the Council and SSC eAgendas. The deadline for written comments is Friday, January 29 at 5 PM (Alaska time). If you have questions, please email npfmc.admin@noaa.gov.

Communities in Alaska join forces to buy out crab industry partners

January 7, 2021 — Thirty coastal Alaska communities, the Coastal Villages Region Fund (CVRF), and the Bristol Bay Economic Development Corporation (BBEDC) announced on 7 January the buyout of Seattle-based Mariner Companies.

The acquisition, according to a release from the organizations, constitutes 3 percent of the total opilio and red king crab quota. In addition to the quota, the CVRF and BBEDC will acquire full ownership of seven crabbing vessels from the company, which is majority-owned by Kevin Kaldestad and Gordon Kristjanson.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

NOAA Fisheries Proposes Critical Habitat for Ringed and Bearded Seals in U.S. Arctic

January 7, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries is proposing to designate critical habitat in U.S. waters off the coast of Alaska for Arctic ringed seals and the Beringia distinct population of bearded seals. Both species are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.

The ESA requires that NOAA Fisheries designate critical habitat for listed species in areas within the jurisdiction of the United States. Critical habitat identifies geographic areas that contain features essential to the conservation of a listed species.

Designating critical habitat does not create a preserve or refuge, and would not affect subsistence harvest of ringed or bearded seals by Alaska Natives.

ALASKA: Bristol Bay Sockeye a High Point in State’s Volatile Season

January 6, 2021 — More than 58 million sockeye salmon returned to Bristol Bay this summer. It’s another in a series of enormous runs to the fishery. The commercial harvest was just as impressive — Bristol Bay’s fleet hauled in 39.5 million fish, which is the fifth-largest harvest on record.

But while the Bay’s run exceeded 50 million fish for the sixth year in a row — 46% above the 20-year average — many other areas of the state were far below their forecast.

Read the full story at Seafood News

ALASKA: Some Fishermen on Edge After Rough Year in North Pacific

January 6, 2021 — Some fishermen in the North Pacific Ocean are on edge ahead of a traditionally fruitful winter fishing season, following a rough 2020 that saw catch rates fall below long-term averages.

The coronavirus pandemic forced the cancellation of some research surveys, making it more difficult to determine how many fish are in the Bering Sea off Alaska, the Seattle Times reported Monday.

The Seattle-based Alaska Fisheries Science Center canceled five of six research missions that help scientists measure fish stocks because of fears of virus outbreaks at sea.

Fishermen have begun their two-week coronavirus quarantines ahead of the Jan. 20 start of the fishing season and aren’t sure what they’ll find once ships largely based in Washington state make their way to the Bering Sea.

“This is the best time of year,” said Kevin Ganley, who captains a 123-foot (37-meter) boat called American Beauty. “If (the fish) are not there, we’re in trouble.”

Read the full story from the Associated Press at U.S. News

Hundreds of Alaskans submit comments on who should be included in next phase of COVID-19 vaccination

January 6, 2021 — As an Alaska committee prepares to vote this week on which groups to include in the next round of COVID-19 vaccinations, people from a wide range of backgrounds and industries — along with those most vulnerable to a severe infection from the virus — are vying for a spot.

Nearly 50 people — including teachers, seniors, seafood industry workers, pilots, judges, veterinarians and utility plant workers — made their case during a public hearing held Monday evening by the Alaska Vaccine Advisory Committee.

The group also received over 300 written public comments.

Teachers, older adults and seafood industry workers made up a large share of the comments.

“As health care professionals, your job should be to protect those who face the greatest medical dangers from COVID,” said Cynthia Pickering Christianson, who identified herself on the call as an Alaska resident over the age of 65. “This committee should vaccinate our oldest residents first.”

Ole Christenson spoke next, and said he agreed, “100 percent.”

Read the full story at the Anchorage Daily News

ALASKA: Bristol Bay sockeye a high point in the state’s unpredictable salmon season

But while the Bay’s run exceeded 50 million fish for the sixth year in a row — 46% above the 20-year average — many other areas of the state were far below their forecast.

“When you take Bristol Bay out of the picture and look at sockeye harvests in Alaska, the non-Bristol Bay sockeye harvests this year were the lowest on record since 1976,” said Dan Leash, an economist with the McDowell Group.

Across all species, the value of the state’s commercial salmon season dropped more than 50% from last year — 56% below last year. 2020 was valued at $295.2 million, while last year was valued at $673.4 million. Harvests were also down by 44%.

“Sometimes when you have a low harvest year, the prices will rise. But that didn’t happen this year,” Leash said. “It was sort of a death by 1,000 cuts in terms of the impact of the seafood on the harvesters this year.”

Read the full story at KDLG