Category Archives: North Pacific
Northstate trucker trades highways for high seas
Howard Salmon, a long haul trucker in his mid-60s, recently traded the highways for the high seas, working as a deckhand on a salmon fishing boat in Alaska. Despite the grueling 12-plus hour days and challenging weather conditions, Salmon said he held his own alongside a crew of 20-somethings. “These guys are tough,” Salmon said. “They take all kinds of waves and weather. Sometimes it can be a nightmare, the waves just throw you around… But it was fun.” Salmon was invited by his longtime friend, Paul Holmberd, the owner and operator of the Sea King fishing boat. Holmberd said he can’t imagine doing anything else. Photos, more, >> CLICK TO READ<< 20:16
Alaska: Sen. Stevens says more details forthcoming on state insurance pool for commercial fishermen
One of the ideas rising to the top of the Alaska Seafood Task Force’s forthcoming recommendations is an insurance pool for commercial fishermen. The state legislative task force plans to release a full list of a dozen potential bills next month to address a downturn in the seafood market. But the group’s chairperson shared some information in advance with the Kodiak Fisheries Work Group on Dec. 18. State Senator Gary Stevens of Kodiak told members of the Kodiak Island Borough Assembly and City Council that he would like to use a model the Alaska Municipal League is using for sharing its communities’ insurance costs. This is known as the Alaska Municipal League Joint Insurance Association (AMLJIA), which is a self-insurance pool owned and paid for by the municipalities and school districts that make up its membership. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:53
Biden’s missed chance to safeguard America’s oceans
Among President Biden’s many laudable environmental accomplishments, one of his historic failures is that he declined to protect America’s ocean ecosystems. Despite the president’s professed goal to protect 30 percent of America’s oceans by 2030, he did virtually none of this. Perhaps he was planning on a second term (obviously a bad gamble), or perhaps he never really intended to do any of this. Regardless, the hope and optimism for ocean protection at the beginning of the Biden administration has, in the end, turned to profound disappointment. On this issue, the administration prioritized local politics over science, need and national interest. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:29
What Happened To Todd Kochutin? The Deadliest Catch Star’s Tragic Death Explained
Todd Kochutin was a crab fisherman occasionally featured on Deadliest Catch, but suddenly, he stopped appearing, which had some fans wondering where he went. These are real, employed men, who are going out into the violent and unpredictable Bering Strait, and there have been plenty of close calls on the show and even a few deaths. Todd Kochutin was a crab fisherman who appeared in a handful of episodes. A capable and dependable crabber, Todd first appeared in season 16 then off and on throughout the seasons, first on F/V Tempo Sea and then on F/V Patricia Lee. Todd Kochutin passed away in February 2021, at the age of 30, on-board the F/V Patricia Lee, in the middle of filming for Deadliest Catch. Links, photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 19:36
Crab pot retrieval concept crashes
Norwegian company Resqunit, with Deadliest Catch star Sig Hansen as global brand ambassador for its ingenious trap retrieval concept, has crashed into bankruptcy with debts of NoK13.5 million – equivalent to over a million euros. The bankruptcy was announced in August, in contrast to the initial fanfare of publicity and optimism as the company’s owners expected the world to embrace its product. A holding company was registered in Sweden in 2021. Soon afterwards the holding company was listed on the US Nasdaq First North Growth Market. Things happened fast for Resqunit and the next step was company was set up in Canada as the concept seemed to be something that couldn’t go wrong as governments, researchers and environmental organisations had ghost fishing high up on the agenda. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:15
A Holiday Message from Captain David Goethel
As you sit down to enjoy your holiday traditions, please give a thought or prayer for those men and women braving extreme conditions this holiday season keeping you fed and warm.
“There is always someone out there”, was a headline in a fishing paper many years ago reminding readers that while most people spend the holidays with friends and family, there are still fishermen plying our waters to feed us, in extreme conditions. Some are fishing because of economic misfortune hoping for a comeback by landing high priced fish when little product is available to consumers. Others are fishing because of social misfortune, a community of fishermen out on the water is better than being alone. They are joined by merchant mariners on large ships and tugboat crews that guide them in and out of harbors bringing oil and gas to keep us warm. All of this is overseen by the Coast Guard boat crews who respond in moment’s notice, no matter what the weather, to mariners in distress.
So, as you enjoy this holiday season remember there is always someone out there catching food to feed the world. 13:41
Happy Holidays, Captain David Goethel
From fish traps to factory trawlers — A ‘back to the future’ look at Seattle’s fishing industry
An advertiser-sponsored article in the Seattle Times gushed “Wild Alaska pollock’s fishing fleet is based right here in Seattle although all of the fish are caught in U.S. waters off of the coast of Alaska. This fishery benefits the economic growth of the entire region, including the North Pacific Fishing Fleet.” That includes 300 commercial fishing vessels of which 226 fish in Alaska. Many of the boats are huge catcher-processors — factory trawlers — that target pollock, cod, rockfish, flounders and other “groundfish” species. Alaska pollock alone is a 3 billion-pound fishery worth roughly $2 billion. And every year, the Seattle trawlers take home up to 76% of the value of ALL groundfish caught in the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska. It’s not a new scenario. Starting in 1885 and until Alaska became a state in 1959, Seattle companies used big traps to catch salmon throughout the territory. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:55 By Laine Welch
In the Pacific Northwest, killing sea lions is a necessity
Don’t let their adorable faces and playful personalities fool you: California and Steller sea lions are capable of having disastrous impacts on nonnative ecosystems. In places like the Columbia River Gorge, these so-called dogs of the sea have been encroaching on native fish habitats for decades. Making homes in the Pacific, in coastal areas like the beaches of California, Alaska and Japan, these sea lions especially thrive on the West Coast, where population numbers are estimated to have grown from 75,000 to 257,000 in the last 30 years. This population boom has meant increased nutritional needs, sending thousands of sea lions inland in search of prey. One of the easiest targets for sea lions is the Columbia River, one of North America’s largest rivers and a key migration route for North American fish. The picturesque river valley abounds with seafood, including 13 federally protected species. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:12
Southeast Alaska Tanner crab down, golden king crab up as next fishery approaches
Southeast Alaska’s next commercial golden king crab and Tanner crab fisheries will open on Feb. 17. The Tanner crab population is on a slight decline, whereas golden king crab is on track for an increased harvest. Recent Tanner crab stock surveys show less mature biomass compared to years prior. But according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, the fishery can still expect a normal season, consistent with the past couple of decades. “The harvest has been steady for the last 25 years, pretty much, besides a couple years in 2007, 2008 where it kind of dipped down a little bit. But it hangs right around a million pounds every year, pretty consistently,” said Adam Messmer, Regional Shellfish Biologist for Fish and Game. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:44
Trawlers applaud rejection of efforts to ban PWS trawling
Members of the Alaska Pollock Fishery Alliance are applauding an Alaska Board of Fisheries decision made in Cordova in opposition to a proposed ban on trawling in Prince William Sound. In a statement issued on Dec. 16 from Cordova, the Alliance cited the board’s decision as a “collaborative victory for science-based fisheries management, sustainable fishing practices, and Alaska’s coastal communities.” “It was also a profound moment of solidarity for sustainable fisheries among stakeholders who sometimes compete for resources in these challenging economic times,” the Alliance said. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:37
Pacific Seafood Completes Acquisition of Trident’s Kodiak Operations
Pacific Seafood and Trident Seafoods today jointly announced the completion of Pacific’s acquisition of Trident’s Kodiak, Alaska, processing operations. The acquisition includes three well-established processing plants—Star of Kodiak, Alkod, and Kodiak Near Island—as well as the Plaza bunkhouse apartments for team member housing. Trident’s Kodiak team members will be retained by Pacific Seafood, ensuring continuity and stability for the team and the local community. “Kodiak is home to some of the most abundant and sustainable fisheries in the world, and we are honored to partner with our new, very talented team members, the fleet and the community to unlock new opportunities for this region,” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:27
Board of Fisheries says all salmon bycatch from one pollock trawl fishery must be retained
Alaska’s Board of Fisheries considered four proposals that would have severely restricted or even shut down the pollock trawl fishery in Prince William Sound. Ultimately, though, only one was passed that didn’t go nearly that far. The amended version of Proposal 15, which was changed by Board member Tom Carpenter, was approved six to one. Proposals 14 and 16 had no action taken based on #15 passing, and proposal 17 failed with only one member in favor. The measure stipulates that all salmon bycatch must be brought back to port and surrendered to the Alaska Department of Fish & Game, also referred to as mandatory retention. This would add on to the mandatory retention that is already required for rockfish and potentially address some of the salmon bycatch concerns in the trawl fishery. links, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 14:31
Commercial Fisherman Andrew (Andy) Paul Babich of Gig Harbor, Wa. has passed away
Andrew (Andy) Paul Babich passed away peacefully at home in Gig Harbor, WA, surrounded by loved ones, on November 16, 2024, at the age of 58. He was born May 16, 1966, to Nick and Delia (DeeDee) Babich in Tacoma, WA. He remained a lifelong third-generation resident and commercial fisherman of Gig Harbor. Andy spent his childhood years on Chinook Avenue with brothers, friends, and cousins, and never missed an opportunity to spend time with his Dad on the F/V Sonia, and later the F/V Maria. After his Dad passed in 1985, 19-year-old Andy, alongside his brother, Nick, took over the family fishing operation in Alaska and on Puget Sound, becoming one of the youngest captains in the fleet. In 1997, he purchased the F/V Ocean Dream, fishing salmon, squid, sardines, and Dungeness crab with his younger brother, Mike, who crewed with him for many years. more, >>CLICK TO READ< 11:08
Frankenfish ‘culled’ – Financial collapse kills AquaBounty salmon plans
Score one for Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska. AquaBounty Technologies, the Massachusetts-based company that claimed to have found “a better way to feed the world” with a genetically modified, faster-growing salmon, has gone bust. Always a faithful booster of Alaska’s commercial fishing industry, which saw genetically engineered (GE) fish yet another threat in market that has been running away from Alaska for a couple decades, Murkowski had branded the company’s salmon “Frankenfish” and spent years trying to get the federal government to ban it. She never succeeded in the regulatory arena, but victory appears to now have come thanks to in part to the public relations war she waged. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:52
Big fight looms at Board of Fish meeting over Prince William Sound trawl bycatch
For years, conservationists, tribes and fishermen have feuded over bycatch of salmon in the huge pollock harvest in the remote Bering Sea off Alaska. Now, a new bycatch fight has erupted over a much smaller pollock fishery not far from urban Alaska, in the waters of Prince William Sound, east of Anchorage. This week, the state Board of Fisheries is considering four proposals by a local tribal government and an Alaska sportsmen’s group that could place sharp restrictions on, or even close down, Prince Williams Sound’s annual pollock trawl harvest. Supporters of the proposals cite state data that show the roughly 15 participating boats, most of which come from Kodiak Island, unintentionally scoop up some 900 king salmon and 900 rockfish each year in their wide-mouth trawl nets. And they say that subsistence harvests of those fish need protection. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:07
A Rebuttal to a Recent Commentary: Alaska trawl fisheries are vital and under attack by those using myths
This campaign to ban trawling – a sustainable fishing method responsible for a substantial majority of fishery landings in the Alaska Region and nationally – poses a direct threat to Alaska’s coastal economy, seafood sector and way of life. If you enjoy wild seafood – fish sandwiches or shrimp; fish sticks or scallops; fish tacos or rockfish – you are enjoying seafood caught by “trawl” or “dredge” fishing gears that touch the seafloor. It’s true that these fishing methods, like every farm, aquaculture facility and fishing operation on the planet, impact the environment. But, what’s also true is that the impacts of trawl fishing in Alaska are continually monitored to ensure long-term ecosystem health. The recent commentary authored for the Alaska Beacon by Heather Sauyaq Jean Gordon and David Bayes is the latest effort to demonize sustainable trawl fisheries. Like other attacks on our sector, the commentary comes from a vocal few that play fast and loose with the facts. By Sam Wright, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:43
Body of missing Coos Bay fisherman recovered in Alaska
The body of a missing fisherman whose boat capsized off the Alaskan coast has been found, according to his family. Jake Hannah, 22, was one of five men aboard the “Wind Walker” fishing vessel when it went down in stormy conditions near Juneau a week and a half ago. Earlier this week, Alaska authorities found remains and debris on a remote beach near Hoonah. Jake’s mom, Carol, confirmed that one of the bodies recovered has since been positively identified as Jake “I’m happy and sad at the same time. I’m happy my Jake has been found. I’m sad because the others are still out there,” Carol said. A GoFundMe page to help Jake’s family, including a young daughter, has been established. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:33
‘On pins and needles”: Family members wait for identification of bodies connected to capsized fishing vessel
The bodies that were found on Monday among the debris of a fishing vessel that capsized over the weekend have yet to be identified. It might make it all the more difficult for the loved ones of those five men who went missing in Southeast Alaska. “That confirmation is going to be the hardest day of our lives,” Carol Hannah, the mother of Jacob Hannah, one of the crew members aboard the vessel, said. “We’re all on edge right now waiting to see if one of them is our Jake.” On Monday, Alaska Wildlife Troopers reported that human remains were found on a beach near Hoonah. The remains, troopers stated, were discovered among the debris of the fishing vessel Wind Walker, which capsized early in the morning of Dec. 1 near Point Couverden. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:45
2 bodies recovered from debris of F/V Wind Walker capsizing
Two bodies were found Monday among the wreckage of a fishing vessel that capsized earlier this month, according to Alaska Wildlife Troopers from Juneau and Hoonah. State troopers said they responded to reports of unidentified human remains located on the beach of Spasski Bay in Southeast Alaska. The Alaska National Guard based in Juneau transported Alaska Wildlife Troopers, NOAA Law Enforcement Officers, and SEADOGS K9 search team to the area. The responding authorities found two bodies among debris from the fishing vessel known as the Wind Walker. The two unidentified bodies were subsequently transported to Juneau by the Alaska National Guard in a helicopter. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:06
F/V Wind Walker – ‘Doesn’t even seem real’: Friend remembers lost Coos Bay fisherman
Five men are still missing and presumed dead after their fishing boat capsized off the Alaskan coast early Sunday morning. One of the fishermen, 22-year-old Jake Hannah, is from Coos Bay. His close friend and fellow fisherman Ben Martinez-Yates tells KOIN 6 he’s still in disbelief after hearing the news. “Usually, this time of year up there, the weather gets really, really nasty. The weather is just unpredictable, and boats ice up and stuff happens,” said Martinez-Yates. Hannah was aboard the 50-foot “Wind Walker” when it made an emergency radio call near Juneau very early Sunday. “When they went to turn around, they flipped over and the boat capsized,” said Martinez-Yates. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:43
‘Radio went dead as he was giving the mayday’: witness recalls hearing moments fishing boat sank
A tugboat crew member who was on a vessel near where the F/V Wind Walker capsized described the mayday call that came over the radio around 12:09 a.m. Sunday. “The radio went dead as he was giving the mayday,” Paradigm Marine first mate Glenn Jahnke said, describing the voice over the radio attempting to answer the Coast Guard’s questions, such as a description of the boat and the number of crew on board, suddenly go silent. “His mayday consisted of ‘mayday, mayday,’ then a pause and then another three maydays, Coast Guard responded. As I recall, ‘We’re on our side, taking in water and I have two people in the water,’” Jahnke added. Jahnke said after reporting the survival suit to the Coast Guard, he observed crews locating something else in the water. “They did find something that appeared to be an un-inflated raft kind of caught up in a jumble of flotsam,” Jahnke said. Video, links, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:42
Capsized fishing boat off Alaska coast included Oregon crew member
Before Jake Hannah, 22, left for his commercial fishing trip on Saturday night, he called his mother, who lives in his hometown of Coos Bay. “He said, ‘Hey mom, we’re getting ready to go out, I love you,’” That was our promise, “You always call me before you leave, and you always call me when you get home.” But the second call never came, she said. Instead, she learned her son’s boat, the F/V Wind Walker, had capsized in the stormy waters off the coast of Sitka, Alaska, with four other people on board. “I thought, ‘God please no, let these boys be safe,’” Carol Hannah said. “It wasn’t just Jake that I was worried about; it was the whole crew.” In his home state of Oregon, Jake Hannah continues to inspire people to remember who he was before he left for Alaska. “He was an all-around awesome guy; you couldn’t ask for a better friend,” Carol Hannah said. “He was the best son a mom could ever want.” Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 14:18
A Fundraiser in Support of F/V Wind Walker Capt. Travis Kapp’s family after tragedy
F/V Wind Walker – ‘Everybody is heartbroken’: Families of 5 missing crewmembers from boat capsizing share their stories
The families of the five crew members missing after their boat capsized in Icy Strait are opening up on who their loved ones are as they anxiously await updates while holding out hope that the men may still be alive somewhere. The U.S. Coast Guard suspended its search Monday after the fishing vessel Wind Walker capsized early Sunday near Point Couverden, the southern tip of a small island in Southeast Alaska. Always a lover of fishing and the ocean, Jacob’s mother Carol Hannah said he moved to Alaska from their home in Oregon roughly two years ago. She described her son as always being the life of the party who could light up a room with his larger-than-life personality. Only in Alaska for six months, 34-year-old Emilio “EJ” had only recently taken up a career in fishing, with this trip being his first time out on a boat, according to his aunt Stephanie Molt. She said the five men had been fishing for black cod before the vessel was reported to have capsized.Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:47
Missing crew from Alaska fishing boat identified
The U.S. Coast Guard has released the names of the five fishermen who went missing off the southeast Alaska coast. This comes two days after the search for their bodies and the boat has been called off. Early Sunday morning, a few miles off the coast of Juneau, Alaska, the F/V Wind Walker crew came over the radio. Just twelve miles away on a tugboat, Glenn Jahnke was serving as a mate on watch overnight. He said he heard the fear and urgency in the crew’s voice. “He said they rolled on their side, were taking on water, two people were in the water. Then the Coast Guard asked a question and there was no response after that,” Jahnke said. That was the last time the five Sitka-based crew members were heard from. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 14:54
F/V Wind Walker: Utah man, 4 others missing after fishing boat capsizes off Alaska coast
A Utah man and four others are missing after their fishing boat capsized early Sunday morning off Couverden Point, Alaska, about 24 miles southwest of Juneau. According to a press release by the U.S. Coast Guard, the search for the missing fishermen was suspended Monday morning, one day after they received a Mayday call that the vessel was overturning. Among those aboard the commercial fishing vessel Wind Walker was Alex Zamantakis, 28, who grew up in Magna. A GoFundMe account set up by family members said funds will go Zamantakis’ girlfriend, and their six-month-old son, Alex. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:33
Families of 5 missing crew members worried after Coast Guard suspends search for capsized fishing boat
The U.S. Coast Guard suspended its search Monday after the fishing vessel F/V Wind Walker capsized early Sunday near Point Couverden, the southern tip of a small island in Southeast Alaska. Coast Guard officials confirmed Tuesday the names of the five crew members of the ship who are missing after the boat capsized: Travis Kapp, Jacob Hannah, Alex Ireland, Emilio Celaya-Talamanter, Michael Brown. Family members of Alex Ireland said Alex preferred to use the last name Zamantakis. His father Mike Zamantakis said they are struggling with the news that the search was suspended. “My hope is that last radio communication from the captain of the ship saying that the men were capsized but they were trying to get in the lifeboat,” Zamantakis said. “They haven’t found the lifeboat either, so that’s my glimmer, that’s my sliver of hope that Alex and his buds will be sitting under some logs or some leaves on a beach someplace trying to stay warm till they’re rescued.”Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:24
Coast Guard suspends search for 5 missing fishermen in Southeast Alaska
The U.S. Coast Guard on Monday morning suspended the search for survivors from a Sitka-based commercial fishing boat that capsized early Sunday morning with five people aboard. The Coast Guard said the search for the 52-foot F/V Wind Walker continued for nearly 24 hours and covered more than 108 square nautical miles. The boat’s crew issued a mayday call at 12:07 a.m. Sunday “reporting they were overturning,” the Coast Guard said. Watchstanders in Juneau received no additional response, they said, but the boat’s emergency beacon signal was located near Point Couverden in Icy Strait, southwest of Juneau. On Sunday, the Coast Guard said searchers had located seven cold-water immersion suits and two strobe lights but no signs of any of the people aboard the vessel. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 17:02
US Coast Guard launches search operation for missing fishermen after vessel capsizes in Alaska
F/V Wind Walker, a vessel approximately 50-foot (15-metre) in length, transmitted a distress signal indicating the boat was overturning at approximately 12.10 am. The Coast Guard’s subsequent communication attempts received no response. Search teams located seven cold-water immersion suits and two strobe lights floating in the search zone. The rescue operation encountered severe weather conditions, including heavy snowfall, winds reaching 60 mph (96 kph), and 6-foot (1.8-metre) seas. The Gulf of Alaska region was under an active winter storm warning during this period. According to people aware of the vessel, which departed from Icy Strait just south of Point Couverden, five people were aboard. However, the Coast Guard has yet to verify this number officially. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:14
Coast Guard and good Samaritans search for people on board fishing boat that capsized in seas off Southeast Alaska
The U.S. Coast Guard and good Samaritans, including a state ferry, are searching Sunday for multiple missing people who were on board a commercial fishing boat that reportedly capsized in cold seas in Icy Strait, southwest of Juneau. Five people were thought to be on board based on “reports from individuals familiar with those aboard the vessel,” the Coast Guard said in a statement. Searchers have found cold-water safety gear and other emergency items but no people yet in the search area, according to the Coast Guard. The Coast Guard reported heavy snow and strong winds up to 45-60 mph in the area Sunday, with 6-foot seas. Around 12:10 a.m. Sunday, crew on board the roughly 50-foot-long vessel Wind Walker reported that “they were overturning” in a mayday call that was received by Coast Guard Sector Southeast Alaska watchstanders, the Coast Guard said. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 15:33
