Friday, November 27, 2020

Alaska Opposition mounts to proposal to close part of Cook Inlet to salmon fishing KDLL by Sabine Poux - November 23, 2020 The southern half of Cook Inlet will have a new fishery management plan in under a month. Commercial fishermen are organizing with the help of their city councils to make sure that plan is not the proposed “Alternative 4,” which would close off federal waters south of Kalgin Island to commercial salmon fishing. https://www.kdll.org/post/opposition-mounts-proposal-close-part-cook-inlet-salmon-fishing#stream/0 West Coast PFMC Adopts Salmon Measures to Help Southern Resident Killer Whales SeafoodNews.com by Susan Chambers - November 24, 2020 The Pacific Fishery Management Council unanimously adopted new ocean salmon fishing regulations last week to help save critically endangered Southern Resident killer whales from extinction. While the birth of two calves this year was welcome news, Southern Residents face an uncertain future with only 74 individuals left and a diet almost entirely comprised of declining salmon populations, especially Chinook salmon, Oceana said in a press release. Pacific salmon, primarily Chinook salmon, are 99 percent of the diet of Southern Resident killer whales. A single adult Southern Resident typically needs to eat 12 to 20 Chinook salmon every day, and as many as 30 depending on the size and nutrition levels of the fish. Wild salmon populations have been in decline due to a combination of issues, including dams, habitat loss and fishing pressure, Oceana said. “Salmon are everything to Southern Resident killer whales, and we must find a way to recover salmon, protect their habitat, and make sure there are enough in the ocean for orcas to eat and raise their young,” Ben Enticknap, Oceana’s Pacific Campaign Manager and Senior Scientist, said in the statement. “There’s a way to balance salmon fishing with the needs of these endangered orcas, and today’s action by the fishery council represents a first step in that direction.” Sixteen Southern Resident killer whales have died since 2015, while nine calves have been born and are still alive. Forty percent of Southern Resident calves do not survive their first few years of life. “Big, bold, and rapid changes are needed to help salmon and Southern Resident killer whales recover, and we’re hopeful responsible fishery management will now be part of the solution," Enticknap said. Under the options passed by the Council, when the pre-season Chinook forecast off Northern Oregon and Washington (north of Cape Falcon, Ore.) is below the threshold of 966,000 Chinook salmon, fishery managers will further restrict non-tribal catch levels in that area and implement a shorter fishing season. They will also close areas to fishing off the Columbia River and Grays Harbor, Wash., as well as other areas off Southern Oregon and Northern California. According to the Council's motion, the 966,000-Chinook level may be adjusted if the model that produces that number is recalibrated. However, the methodology for determining the value would remain the same. The Council's Salmon Advisory Subpanel recognized the plight of the orcas but suggested the Council make no changes to current season management after reviewing the Southern Resident Killer Whale Workgroup report. "The SAS agrees with the Workgroup report outlining the weak stock management requirements already imbedded in the directed fishery harvest process and the SAS would emphasize the uncertainties regarding the effectiveness of the action alternatives in achieving something better for the whales," the SAS wrote. "While there are uncertainties about the outcomes of implementing the other Alternatives, there is no uncertainty as to the impact of those actions on fishermen and coastal communities. Reduced opportunities, shortened seasons, and severe financial impacts will have very real consequences for the industry with only speculative benefit for the SRKW population. The SAS feels that eliminating fishing in April and May removes the most lucrative fishing period and the strongest markets for troll-caught Chinook salmon and is an unnecessary burden to place on the fishing community." Additionally, the industry salmon advisers said ultimately the best way to help the orcas is producing more Chinook. "The SAS feels strongly that increased production of salmon at Federal, state, and tribal hatchery facilities is the most dependable tool available to increase the prey base for the whales," the SAS said in its statement. The Council took this final action after undertaking a scientific review of the effects of fishing on endangered Southern Resident orcas and hearing from Tribes, scientists, fishermen and the public. The proposed measures will now go the National Marine Fisheries Service for rulemaking and incorporation into the Pacific Coast Salmon Fishery Management Plan. https://www.seafoodnews.com/Story/1185985/PFMC-Adopts-Salmon-Measures-to-Help-Southern-Resident-Killer-Whales Environment/Science Trump administration denies planned mine near Alaska fishery AP News by Mark Thiessen - November 26, 2020 ANCHORAGE, Alaka (AP) — The Trump administration on Wednesday effectively killed a contentious proposed mine in Alaska, a gold and copper prospect once envisioned to be nearly as deep as the Grand Canyon and could produce enough waste to fill an NFL stadium nearly 3,900 times — all near the headwaters of the world’s largest sockeye salmon fishery. https://apnews.com/article/alaska-fish-us-news-salmon-ae56d13668374533f5118815114c40dc Federal Register Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Atka Mackerel in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area A Rule by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on 11/27/2020 NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Atka mackerel in the Bering Sea subarea and Eastern Aleutian District (BS/EAI) of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI) by vessels participating in the BSAI trawl limited access sector fishery. This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the 2020 total allowable catch (TAC) of Atka mackerel in the BS/EAI allocated to vessels participating in the BSAI trawl limited access sector fishery. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/11/27/2020-26213/fisheries-of-the-exclusive-economic-zone-off-alaska-atka-mackerel-in-the-bering-sea-and-aleutian Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Ocean Perch in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area A Rule by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on 11/27/2020 NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific ocean perch in the Eastern Aleutian district (EAI) of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI) by vessels participating in the BSAI trawl limited access sector fishery. This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the 2020 total allowable catch (TAC) of Pacific ocean perch in the EAI allocated to vessels participating in the BSAI trawl limited access sector fishery. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/11/27/2020-26217/fisheries-of-the-exclusive-economic-zone-off-alaska-pacific-ocean-perch-in-the-bering-sea-and Fisheries Off West Coast States; West Coast Salmon Fisheries; Rebuilding Chinook Salmon Stocks A Rule by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on 11/27/2020 NMFS issues a final rule under the authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA) to approve and implement rebuilding plans recommended by the Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) for two overfished salmon stocks: Klamath River fall-run Chinook salmon (KRFC) and Sacramento River fall-run Chinook salmon (SRFC). NMFS determined in 2018 that these stocks were overfished under the MSA, due to spawning escapement falling below the required level for the three-year period 2015-2017. The MSA requires overfished stocks to be rebuilt, generally within 10 years. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/11/27/2020-26042/fisheries-off-west-coast-states-west-coast-salmon-fisheries-rebuilding-chinook-salmon-stocks FYI’s Barge rate increase expected to raise Alaska consumer prices KMXT by Jared Griffin - November 23, 2020 Alaska’s largest barge operator has announced an increase in prices starting next month. https://kmxt.org/2020/11/barge-rate-increase-expected-to-raise-alaska-consumer-prices/

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