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Monday, October 15. 2007 Plan to Restore Trout Species Stalls DENVER — State and federal biologists, still smarting from research showing that they may have been protecting the wrong fish the past 20 years, are regrouping in their efforts to restore the rare greenback cutthroat trout to Colorado waters. State biologist Tom Nesler had hoped to see the fish removed from the endangered species list during his career. He concedes that might not happen if it turns out some of the greenback populations biologists thought they were saving are actually the similar but more common Colorado River cutthroat trout. A three-year study led by University of Colorado researchers, published in August, found that out of nine fish populations believed to be descendants of original greenbacks, five were actually Colorado River cutthroat trout. The recovery effort was thought to be near its goal of establishing 20 self-sustaining greenback populations. Nesler, chairman of the greenback recovery team, and other members of the team — which includes four federal agencies, agencies from three states, an Indian tribe and a conservation group — are doing further testing and review. Greenbacks were declared extinct in 1937 due to overfishing, pollution from mines and competition from nonnative fish. But researchers said remnant populations were found in tributaries in the 1950s. The fish was added to the federal endangered species list in 1978. Under the state-federal recovery program, biologists used fish they believed to be descendants of pure greenback cutthroat trout as brood stock. New fish, raised in hatcheries, were released in different waters, Nesler said, not where the remnant populations were. As team members huddle to chart the course forward, they're also trying to explain why what they thought were greenbacks weren't. In a letter to the state natural resources chief, four Colorado legislators denounced "this significant scientific blunder" as a waste of taxpayer dollars. The team will recommend to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the agency responsible for endangered species, how to proceed. Meanwhile, it has been thrown another curve. Tests on a batch of fish not examined during the study produced results Nesler said he can't explain: two tests showed they were Colorado River cutthroat trout — but a third showed they were greenbacks. The results could be an anomaly or say something about either the testing or the fish. They hope to have the answer after testing more fish. It was the first time that geneticists told the team that DNA tests could tell greenback and Colorado River cutthroat trout apart, Nesler said. "Up until a year ago, no one could tell us the difference between the two," he said. Robert Behnke, a retired Colorado State University professor and expert on trout, said he has questions about the new research. "The genetic work might be superb," he said, but the study claims to sweep "doubt and uncertainty under the carpet." "Science is not about proof and certainty, it's about testable hypotheses," he said. – Associated Press Recovery of Cod, Haddock Threatened SACO, Maine - Frustrated New England groundfishermen are asking federal regulators to help forestall a collapse of the region's depleted populations of cod, haddock and other groundfish by taking immediate action on rules that would ban herring midwater trawl ships from critical fishing grounds. The public interest law firm Earthjustice filed a petition last week on behalf of two fishing groups, the Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance and the Midcoast Fishermen's Association, asking the Secretary of Commerce and the National Marine Fisheries Service to close loopholes that allow industrial herring midwater trawlers to fish in areas currently off limits to groundfish vessels. The commercial herring industry is rapidly becoming dominated by these high-volume ships, paradoxically exempted from laws designed to reduce overfishing and protect vital spawning grounds of fragile populations of cod, haddock and other groundfish. "These areas are the last place you want midwater trawls," said Craig Pendleton, coordinating director of Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance. "If our fishing industry is going to survive, we need to stop overfishing and protect spawning grounds, not leave them open to giant midwater trawlers that wipe out everything in their path." Under current rules, midwater trawlers dragging massive small-mesh nets are allowed to fish in areas closed to groundfishermen. The trawlers, sometimes working in pairs so they can drag even bigger nets between them, indiscriminately capture and kill all forms of sea life they encounter. The practice can lead to localized depletion of herring and contribute to the overfishing of severely depleted groundfish populations. "These ships are 180 feet long and they tow a net as long as a football field, as wide as a soccer pitch field and as tall as the U.S. Capitol building," said Peter Baker, of the Pew Environment Group, which founded the Herring Alliance to protect New England's population of herring. "Juvenile groundfish don't stand a chance." Despite tightened regulations on groundfishermen in recent years, new scientific reports issued this summer show that overfishing is occurring on eight of 19 managed groundfish stocks, and that 13 stocks remain overfished. Available data clearly show that midwater trawlers catch juvenile and adult groundfish and point to significant problems in the industry. – Press release
Fishing Groups Want Trawlers Banned SACO, Maine - Two Maine-based commercial fishing groups said last week they are filing a petition with federal regulators asking that herring trawlers be banned from certain fishing grounds in New England. Earthjustice, a national law firm based in California, filed the petition with the Secretary of Commerce on behalf of the Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance and the Midcoast Fishermen’s Association, said Roger Fleming, an Earthjustice attorney in Maine. At a press conference, the groups said the trawlers use massive nets with small holes to catch herring in areas that are closed to boats fishing for cod, haddock and other groundfish. The petition seeks to have herring fishermen banned from the same areas that are closed to other fishermen. "If our fishing industry is going to survive, we need to stop overfishing and protect spawning grounds, not leave them open to giant midwater trawlers that wipe out everything in their path," said Craig Pendleton of the Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance. The Secretary of Commerce could grant the petition, reject it or refer it to the New England Fishery Management Council, Fleming said. Herring fishermen say efforts to restrict their activities are based more on politics than on science. Critics are exaggerating the amount of groundfish inadvertently caught in herring nets, said Peter Moore of Freeport, who represents herring and mackerel fishermen that sell to shoreside processors. But conservation groups have made herring fishermen their latest political target, he said. "It’s the campaign of the moment," he said. - Boston Herald Kodiak Election Results KODIAK, Alaska - New Kodiak City Council members Terry Haines and Jack Maker take office at the council’s next regular session Oct. 25, with Mayor Carolyn Floyd returning for another term and incumbent Dennis McMurry going down in defeat. The City Canvass Board released its official count Wednesday with absentee votes and question ballots now counted, totaling 90 ballots. The city election, held Oct. 2, will be certified by the council at its next meeting when newly elected members are sworn in. The numbers did not change unofficial results, although the margins widened. Election numbers show that 27 percent of registered voters in the city cast ballots. That’s up from the previous election in 2006 when 23 percent of the voters cast ballots. There were 1,045 ballots cast. There are 3,839 registered voters in the city, compared to 3,814 last year. Floyd had the strongest showing with a total of 601 votes. Her opponent, Dave Van Mun, received 222 votes. Haines received 389 votes and Maker, 406. McMurry received 368 votes. Propositions concerning construction of a new public safety building and city jail did not pass, meaning the City Council will have to come up with a new plan to replace the old facilities. Proposition 4, which prohibits construction of a city jail on Near Island, passed with 72 percent, or 576 voters, voting to keep a jail from being built there. Two other propositions concerning voter qualifications and council terms of office passed. “I think we have new people with more representation for the fishing industry in Haines, and another outlook on community business interests in Maker,” said Floyd, who is returning for another two-year term for the eighth time. Floyd said that since the City Council has been working on the jail project for nearly two years, she hopes this council will see new facilities. “We are starting over with new people and new ideas. We will just have to see what to do on developing a location,” Floyd said. Haines could not be reached for comment on the election results since he is out commercial fishing. – Kodiak Daily Mirror Eco-Groups Applaud U.S. Efforts to Protect Fish MOBILE, Ala. - While charter boat owners protest new catch limits, a public interest group applauded efforts by the federal government to end overfishing and urged regulators to accurately monitor the Gulf of Mexico catch. Fishery managers should create "clear, equitable, and consistent accountability measures that keep fish stocks out of trouble if annual catch limits are exceeded," the Washington, D.C.-based group said in a letter to Bill Hogarth, director of the National Marine Fisheries Service. The letter from U.S. PIRG (Public Interest Research Group) was released at a news conference in Mobile by spokeswoman Emily Stone, joined by about a dozen representatives of area conservation and environmental groups. One of them, Mike Bosarge, a spokesman for the 180-member Mobile Bay Kayak Fishing Association, applauded efforts to protect the fish populations but said NMFS needs to take action "to start saving the Gulf." While charter boat operators say new limits are driving them out of business, Stone applauded the passage of a 2006 federal act that seeks to end overfishing by 2010, particularly for red snapper. It requires all fisheries to be regulated under annual catch limits, with accountability measures to ensure that catches do not exceed the limit. Federal officials are drawing up regulations to implement the new law - a process that's drawing comment from various fishing interests. "For some sectors, it's going to be disaster," said University of South Alabama marine biologist Dr. Bob Shipp, who serves on the Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Management Council. On the Alabama coast, charter boat owners at Orange Beach met Tuesday night to discuss the law's affect on their industry. Bobbi Walker, president of the Orange Beach Fishing Association, said the new fishing restrictions - a product of "radical environmentalists" - have already forced 10 charter boats out of business on the Alabama coast, leaving about 100 in operation. The boat owners have mortgages and expenses to cover on their vessels. Stone said public testimony on the new law is expected on Oct. 31 in Biloxi, Miss., at the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council's regular meeting. The council manages fishing in federal waters off Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and the west coast of Florida. Stone said residents, fishermen, scientists and business people who support a healthy Gulf still must push for changes being considered by National Marine Fisheries Service regional councils. – Forbes <<<•>>> Tuesday, October 16. 2007 Stevens Brings Big Money to Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, may be under federal investigation in his home state of Alaska, but that hasn't interfered with his Washington job. He's still spending money like there's no tomorrow, CBS News investigative correspondent Sharyl Attkisson reports. Not his money - yours. Alaska Rep. LeDoux Runs for U.S. Congress Congressional candidate Rep. Gabrielle LeDoux is showing a side of her political wherewithal in her fight over the Pebble Mine proposal, a project that lies within her legislative district, while at the same time keeping an eye on national issues. LeDoux is running for an office that concerns federal issues while at the same time continuing her representation on state issues such as the Petroleum Profits Tax. The Alaska Legislature debates the potboiler issue Oct. 18 in special session to consider the percentage of Alaska’s share of profits from oil production. LeDoux, so far, is the only Republican who has filed to run against U.S. Rep. Don Young, with primaries to be held in August 2008. Gov. Sarah Palin released to members of the Legislature the draft bill that would replace the current PPT with a new production tax, Alaska’s Clear and Equitable Share, or ACES. If enacted into law, it would mark the second consecutive year that petroleum taxes were raised on producers and would boost Alaska’s share of profits from 22.5 percent to 25 percent. Palin’s bill is opposed by oil producers led by the Alaska Oil and Gas Association, which includes energy giants ExxonMobil and British Petroleum, both large lease holders in Alaska’s North Slope. Their primary argument is that more taxes discourage further investment. LeDoux said the producers promised the state there would be a $1.2 billion return, and that has now been reduced to $800 million. “The producers have taken the opportunity to deduct deferred maintenance, which has caused the state to be short,” she said. Pebble Mine also has the legislator and candidate in the middle of big business interests and local interests, such as protection of the Alaska environment. LeDoux represents District 36, which includes Kodiak as well as the Lake Iliamma region, the area of the proposed Pebble Mine. LeDoux recently returned to Kodiak after participating in hearings on Pebble Mine. She outlined the issues detailing two schools of thought. “The first is that this is simply not an appropriate place for a huge mining operation. Period. This is a seismic area at the headwaters of the Kvichak and Mulchatna Rivers and the Talarik Creek drainages. This is the fountainhead of not only Alaska’s thriving commercial fishery, but active sports fishing and tourism industries as well,” LeDoux said. “On the other hand, I also recognize the importance of economic diversification and resource development. Many people in my district and the surrounding one are now earning a decent income while the mine is in its exploratory stages,” she said. She said, relative to the permitting process, the Murkowski administration stacked the deck in favor of large-scale industrial mining when the governor transferred the Alaska Habitat Division from Fish & Game to the Department of Natural Resources. She said the Habitat Division’s proper role under Fish & Game was to ensure that permits were not issued if such permits compromised fisheries LeDoux said another Murkowski initiative that stacked the deck against fish habitat was changing the mixing-zone regulations of the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation so as to permit the discharge of pollutants into salmon spawning areas. LeDoux wants to undo the Murkowski measures and has introduced a bill, along with Rep. Paul Seaton, House Bill 74 that forbids mixed zoning. HB 41 returns the Habitat Division back to Fish & Game. However, both bills are now stalled. LeDoux said both bills must pass before she is willing to back the Pebble Mine permitting process. – Kodiak Daily Mirror
Salmon Habitat Destruction in B.C. SURREY, British Columbia - A recent not-so-complimentary report from the David Suzuki Foundation has resulted in Surrey taking a closer look at how it approves the environmental components in its property developments. The report, "High and Dry: An Investigation of Salmon-Habitat Destruction in B.C.," was researched and written by Surrey-based biologist John Werring. His 33-page document identifies nine specific instances in the province where inadequate development practices led to significant fish habitat destruction -- and one of the worst cases he cites is the Campbell Heights business park development in southeast Surrey. In fact, as a result of what he saw after touring this massive city-developed business park during its early construction in 2005, Werring's report states bluntly that "our investigator determined that in 15 years of doing this kind of work he had never witnessed such a significant loss of fish habitat associated with any one development." In addition to the cutting down of "thousands of trees" to make way for the many offices and warehouses that continue to be built today on Campbell Heights' barren building lots, Werring's report describes how the development resulted in destruction of some class-A salmon streams and wetlands that occupied the watershed and nearby Little Campbell River. It also criticized the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans for its failure to properly monitor this development and for DFO's admitted assumptions that the business-park property owner -- that is, the City of Surrey -- was indeed taking all necessary steps to protect fish habitat. Not surprisingly, Surrey mayor Dianne Watts wasn't amused by the Suzuki report and has vowed to take steps to avoid similar problems in the future. "This is certainly something we need to take a closer look at and it's definitely a challenge keeping development and environment in balance," Watts said. In fairness, the city has taken mitigation measures at Campbell Heights since Werring's initial visit. But after revisiting the development last week, he still has concerns. "Kudos to the city for trying, but stream banks are still falling into the creek and they're using really rich top soils, which are causing extreme weed growth in the ponds," he noted. - The Vancouver Province 2007 Pacific Right Whales Elusive Scientists searching for what is likely the world's most endangered whale came up empty-handed this summer during a one-month tour of an area in the Bering Sea where Pacific right whales like to feed. From July 31 to Aug. 28, an international team of scientists surveyed an area almost the size of New York in search of Pacific right whales, which have been teetering toward extinction for decades. "We did not see a single whale the entire time," said Phil Clapham, team leader and chief scientist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Alaska Fisheries Science Center in Seattle. "The bottom line: They were not in the places they had traditionally been in the last six or seven years." This summer's survey in which scientists used high-powered binoculars and underwater listening devices is part of a larger four-year project to assess the seasonal distribution of the whales, their numbers and where they travel in the Bering Sea. The Minerals Management Service is paying for the surveys at an annual cost of about $1 million. The research is required under the federal Endangered Species Act because the area where the whales like to spend summers overlaps an area the federal government this year approved for oil and gas development. Lease sales could begin by 2011. The whales weren't found this summer because it is a "cold pool year" in the Bering Sea, Clapham said. That means the water is colder than normal. The colder water likely affected the distribution of plankton, which is what the large whales feed on. Many scientists considered right whales a lost cause until a few years ago when 23 were spotted, including two with calves, in an area of the Bering Sea where they like to feed. However, numbers remain exceedingly small, making it difficult to find them. Right whales have been listed as endangered since the early 1970s. The Bering Sea is changing as rapidly as any ocean on the planet because of global warming, said Brendan Cummings, ocean programs director for the Center for Biological Diversity, which successfully sued the federal government to get critical habitat designated for the whales. Those changes have affected where animals go, he said. "We know ... for the past decade that the southeastern Bering Sea is the most important spot on the planet for North Pacific right whales. We need to not open it up for oil drilling," he said. – Associated Press Pebble Mine Rich with Copper and Gold ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Exploratory drilling this year at Pebble Mine near the world's most productive wild sockeye salmon fishery supports earlier findings: it's extraordinarily rich with high-quality copper and gold. The Pebble East deposit in southwest Alaska is so large that despite two years of exploratory drilling, its outer edges have yet to be delineated, Sean Magee, a spokesman for Northern Dynasty Mines Inc., said Friday. The company is an American subsidiary of Northern Dynasty Minerals, a Canadian company developing the prospect. The 2007 drilling program at Pebble East - the deposit discovered by Northern Dynasty two years ago when it was scoping out the less-appealing Pebble West prospect - confirms earlier findings, Magee said. "It is more good news from a geological perspective," he said. The value of the minerals at Pebble are worth hundreds of billions of dollars. This year, 72,700 feet of core drilling was completed in 17 holes. The results of six more holes are being evaluated. Drilling is ongoing with seven rigs working on new holes and two more drill rigs are expected to be mobilized at drill sites later this year. "We are still trying to find the geographic extent of the ore body," Magee said. "We have not found the outside edges." When questioned about the findings, Bobby Andrew of Dillingham said he would redouble his efforts to put a stop to the mine, located on state land designated for mining development about 200 miles southwest of Anchorage. The mine has drawn strong opposition from fishermen, conservationists and many locals. "I am going to fight harder," Andrew said. "They will be using more chemicals that will affect the salmon. I would hate to see that happen." Magee said no decision has yet been made on whether both Pebble West and Pebble East will be developed. It could be that only the Pebble East project with its higher-grade ore will go forward. If developed, Pebble West would be an open pit mine. Pebble East would be underground. – Juneau Empire <<<•>>> Wednesday, October 17, 2007 Coos Bay, Ore. - The many industries that rely on the bounties of the ocean are still trying to reach an agreement to begin testing a recently new renewable energy source in the waters. Observer Attacks Proliferate Attacks and threats against government observers monitoring commercial fishing fleets increased by almost 50% above those reported last year, according to agency figures released today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). These latest numbers continue a sharp rise in reported incidents in recent years - nearly doubling in 2005 and tripling from the 2004 level. "NOAA does not appear to be aware of trends occurring with its people or particularly concerned about the very low number of cases being prosecuted." – Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER)
Officials Fear Carp Migration ST. PAUL, Minn. - A second bighead carp has been caught by commercial fishermen in Lake Pepin, renewing fears among wildlife officials about the northern migration of the voracious invasive species. Jay Rendall, an invasive species expert with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, said the 29-pound fish was caught in a net. Rendall said the anglers knew what they caught and alerted the DNR, which confirmed the species. Bighead carp are one of several species of Asian carp that have escaped from commercial fish farms in the southern United States and now threaten to overwhelm native fish populations in the Mississippi River watershed. The fish have become increasingly common as far north as central Iowa and have taken over large parts of the Illinois and Missouri Rivers. Agri News, Minnesota Industry Money Fans Debate on Fish This also appeared in our Wild News service. NEW YORK CITY – Many health advocates were surprised earlier this month when a children’s health coalition that includes federal agencies and professional medical associations contradicted government warnings about mercury contamination and recommended that women of childbearing age eat more fish. Since then several coalition members have renounced the findings, some criticizing the coalition’s leadership for taking thousands of dollars from the fishing industry to promote the recommendations. The coalition’s leaders did not present the recommendations to its members before releasing them. The organization, the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition, announced on Oct. 4 that women of childbearing age should eat at least 12 ounces of seafood each week, including tuna and mackerel, which can have high levels of mercury. Since 2004, the Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency have recommended that such women eat no more than 12 ounces of fish a week, including no more than 6 ounces of canned albacore tuna, and avoid swordfish, tilefish, king mackerel and shark because they are high in mercury, which most scientists say is harmful to fetuses and young children. The coalition based its advice on a finding by the Maternal Nutrition Group, made up of physicians, dietitians and nutritionists. It relied on recent research, including a study in the British medical journal Lancet, showing that the benefits for babies of omega-3 fatty acids and other substances in fish outweighed the risks of mercury. Another study showed that fears about mercury had kept some women from eating any fish. But in an 1,800-word response to its critics, the coalition acknowledged that a member of the Maternal Nutrition Group, Dr. James McGregor, a visiting professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine, had gotten the National Fisheries Institute to provide $1,000 honoraria to each of the group’s 14 members, with an extra $500 each to the group’s four executive committee members. The National Fisheries Institute also gave the coalition $60,000 for its education campaign. The coalition’s leadership said that the public relations firm Burson-Marsteller "facilitated this group sharing its findings" with the coalition and is working to promote the recommendations. Burson-Marsteller, which represents the fisheries institute, had worked for the U.S. Tuna Foundation before it joined with the institute. Hampton Shaddock, a managing director of Burson-Marsteller, is the vice chairman of the coalition, although he said he recused himself from any discussion by the organization on seafood recommendations. Both the recommendations and the connection to the fishing industry angered some members of the coalition. "We are appalled," said Dr. Frank Greer, chairman of the nutrition committee of the American Academy of Pediatrics, a member of the coalition. He said his organization does not believe the new advice is backed up by the preponderance of science. "Plus it’s paid for by the National Fisheries Institute, which is a real conflict of interest," he said. Others in the coalition, including the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the federal Health Resources Services Administration as well as the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the March of Dimes, also disavowed the findings. "Until we have a solid convincing argument we are not going to change," said Michele Kling, a spokeswoman for the March of Dimes. Julie Zawisza, a spokeswoman for the Food and Drug Administration, said the agency stood by its warnings about seafood high in mercury. "We think we are pretty much aware of everything that is out there in terms of scientific studies and data," Zawisza said, "and we haven’t seen any data that we believe would support a change in our current recommendations." Dr. Kathryn Mahaffey, a senior scientist with the E.P.A., said the coalition's recommendation "has created an artificial controversy." "I talk to a number of very well educated pregnant women and when they hear these messages they find themselves confused," Dr. Mahaffey said. "It undermines what regulatory agencies have to say. You can have omega-3’s without having much mercury, but you have to make really careful choices and try to follow our guidelines." Judy Meehan, executive director of the coalition, said there was nothing wrong with the Burson-Marsteller connection or with taking money from organizations with a product to sell. "We receive money for an educational message and we stand behind that message," Meehan said. "We saw an important health message that is a priority and thought the latest science should be included." John Connelly, president of the National Fisheries Institute, said there is no conflict of interest. "N.F.I. is proud to have been able to support a continuing discussion of the importance of eating seafood as part of healthy diet during pregnancy," he said. This is not the first time the seafood industry has given money to an outside group to talk about the benefits of its products. For example, the tuna foundation gave $45,000 last year to the University of Maryland’s Center for Food, Nutrition and Agriculture Policy to create the Web site realmercuryfacts.org, which disputes government warnings about mercury in seafood. – New York Times State Employees Seek Higher Wages KODIAK, Alaska - Some 20 State of Alaska employees in Kodiak were expected to picket Wednesday, spending their lunch hour walking at the Alaska Department of Fish and Game building or in front of state offices at Center Avenue and Mill Bay Road that house the Department of Labor and Alaska legislative information offices. The employees seek higher wages, premiums for accepting supervisory positions that exclude overtime pay, and less expensive health insurance. The employees are supervisors, represented by the Alaska Public Employees Association. They are among about 2,000 workers statewide in a bargaining unit called the State Supervisory Unit of APEA. Employees in the group have college and graduate school degrees, usually masters degrees or higher, according to the union. "None of us are very comfortable with this," Alaska Fish and Game employee Joe Dinnocenzo said of the picket, adding that living in a small town makes the demonstration conspicuous, but employees want to inform the public. Dinnocenzo is an assistant area biologist for Fish and Game’s commercial fisheries division. The union claims supervisory positions are difficult to fill, and employees often lose money accepting the overtime-exempt jobs. APEA is also proposing a union-controlled health insurance trust, should the worker group choose that. The employee group rejected an offer from the state that included a 4 percent raise for the current fiscal year, and 3 percent raises for the following two years. Gov. Sarah Palin and the Department of Administration claim it is the best offer supervisors have received since Walter Hickel was governor. Ivan Vining, a biometrician and shop steward for the worker group in Kodiak, said there is a shortage of applicants for the state’s supervisory jobs, proving the compensation has not kept up with the times. Promotions often come at a loss of take-home pay, Vining said, because once a state employee becomes a supervisor, they are exempt from overtime. Other factors come into play, such as limiting fieldwork, hazard pay and sea-pay, he said. The Department of Administration admits every department in the state has some recruiting problems, but they blame an aging work force. Management positions require a combination of education and experience. As baby boomers retire, the pool of experienced, educated applicants is shrinking. The Palin administration admits some people take pay cuts when promoted to a supervisory role. The administration has formed a work group made up of members of the executive branch to discuss retirement and recruitment issues. Announcements about the work group and other press releases from the administration include a message that the governor intends to seek “cost-neutral or low-cost” solutions to the recruitment problem. That language ruffles the feathers of the employee group, who walk Wednesday with the theme, "respect = fair pay." – Kodiak Daily Mirro <<<•>>> Crabbers Go Fish After Price Talks UNALASKA, Alaska – After a few days of Bristol Bay red king crab price negotiations, the Bering Sea crab fleet has been given the green light to go fishing as of this afternoon. Small Boats Dangerous to Sea Turtles Big commercial fishing fleets with nets that stretch for miles are often blamed for driving sea turtles to the brink of extinction. The loggerheads that swim from Baja, Calif., to Japan and back are disappearing fast, despite tough new restrictions on some of the fleets that catch and kill the turtles by mistake. But a new study of Pacific loggerhead turtles has identified what may be an even bigger threat — small fishing boats that work in coastal waters. Scientists have discovered what they call a sea turtle "death zone" off the coast of Mexico. Some fishermen are trying to protect the giant sea turtles, but "some" may not be enough. – NPR
ComFish Alaska to be Held March 20-22 KODIAK, Alaska - The Kodiak Chamber of Commerce announced that ComFish Alaska will be held March 20 to 22, 2008. The announcement comes after months of meetings, both internal among chamber members and public, about how to save the troubled fisheries convention and some speculation about whether it would survive at all. In a meeting last month, chamber staff members described losses between $10,000 and $15,000 per year and said the losses were too much for the local business association to sustain. The problem is shrinking attendance by fishermen and an industry moving away from tradeshows as a way to market products to customers; in this case, skippers, vessel owners and processing plant managers and owners. Still, chamber officials say their membership and the community of Kodiak want some version of ComFish to survive. The ComFish name is known over the Pacific Northwest. In Alaska, ComFish is known outside the industry for forums that hosted face-to-face candidate debates with politicians running for statewide office. “It was obvious that everyone felt ComFish is an important venue for Kodiak,” chamber executive director Debora King said. John Whiddon, chamber board president, has appointed a task force to consider changes for the event. “The community discussion and the task force brought up some great ideas for improving ComFish, and you’ll see the event moving in those directions over the next few years,” Whiddon said. King said her focus is on the needs of vendors in the commercial fishing industry. Even as the tradeshow has shrunk, ComFish forums featuring fisheries scientists, regulators, economists and politicians have maintained their popularity and made the high school and adjacent auditorium a good fit for the convention. In November 2008 there will be a statewide election with primaries for political parties to be held in August. Both U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens and Congressman Don Young are up for re-election and are expected to have challengers. State Rep. Gabrielle LeDoux of Kodiak recently announced she will challenge Young in the Republican primary. Young and Stevens have each attended ComFish forums during past campaigns, King said. “We have been the premier event, sort of the kick-off for those debates,” she said, adding in 2006 a debate between U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski and Democratic challenger Tony Knowles took place at ComFish. “It is a great opportunity to bring the candidates to Kodiak. It is a great opportunity for the community, because they get to a chance to meet the candidates in person, and for the candidates, they get to talk about fishing.” - Kodiak Daily Mirror U.S. Bill Combats Illegal Fishing WASHINGTON, D.C. - The United States Senate yesterday approved a provision authored by Senator Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) and Senator Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) that would create a list of fishing vessels and vessel owners engaged in illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing as part of the Fiscal Year 2008 Commerce, Justice, and Science (CJS) Appropriations bill (H.R. 3093). The measure would also allow the United States to take appropriate action against listed vessels and owners, in accordance with federal and international fisheries and trade laws. Editorial: No "Squabbles" in North Pacific Council KODIAK, Alaska - I rarely write letters to the editor, even when I know someone is exaggerating or grossly mistaken about facts, particularly when it comes to fisheries issues. However, I must write to correct misinformation submitted by John Finley. While I was among other Kodiak residents at the recent North Pacific Fishery Management Council meeting, John Finley was not. I feel it is important to correct some of the errors in his entertaining summary. Council members always have a discussion and debate on issues. The suggestion that "squabbles" occurred is not accurate. A lively debate is more accurate. The word "livid" is a bit strong as well. While there was disagreement, I didn’t see any livid council members at the final vote. The members of the council rarely agree unanimously. This issue is particularly controversial, but the words "squabble" and "livid" are inappropriate. Gov. Palin made a brief stop at the council meeting (last) Thursday – not Friday as John asserts. She did not have a "room" at the meeting, nor did she convene an Alaskans-only summit to reach an "agreement." While it makes good reading, it just isn’t factual. Bill Tweit from Washington, not Duncan Fields, addressed the issue of allocating individual fishing quota to crew. Many believe his motion was an attempt to divert the discussion from the state’s simple motion, which was to look at 90/10 processor shares and consider another number ranging from the status quo down to zero processor shares for each specific fishery in the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands. I agree that Palin and her administration should be thanked by folks in this community. During her campaign for governor, she made it clear she didn’t believe processor shares were a good idea. Commissioner Lloyd, the State of Alaska’s representative at the council meeting, took the lead to analyze possible changes to 90/10 processor shares in crab. The clear signal from the state is that there are concerns with the policy of processor shares and we need to look at other options. That’s a good thing. - Linda Kozak, writing to the Kodiak Daily Mirror <<•>>> Friday, October 19. 2007Crabbers Go Fish After Price Talks UNALASKA, Alaska – After a few days of Bristol Bay red king crab price negotiations, the Bering Sea crab fleet has been given the green light to go fishing as of this afternoon. Small Boats Dangerous to Sea Turtles Big commercial fishing fleets with nets that stretch for miles are often blamed for driving sea turtles to the brink of extinction. The loggerheads that swim from Baja, Calif., to Japan and back are disappearing fast, despite tough new restrictions on some of the fleets that catch and kill the turtles by mistake. But a new study of Pacific loggerhead turtles has identified what may be an even bigger threat — small fishing boats that work in coastal waters. Scientists have discovered what they call a sea turtle "death zone" off the coast of Mexico. Some fishermen are trying to protect the giant sea turtles, but "some" may not be enough. – NPR |