Tag Archives: Alaska
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
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
A Fundraiser in Support of F/V Wind Walker Capt. Travis Kapp’s family after tragedy
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
Commercial Fisherman/U. S. Army Veteran Jack Benton Cartwright of Oregon has passed away
Jack Benton Cartwright was well known for his kindness and enthusiasm for life. He was a force of nature, and many have described him as “one of a kind.” Jack was born March 16, 1944, to Charlie and Okema Cartwright. He was raised on the Seaside Golf Course, which his parents owned until 1971. Jack graduated from Seaside High School in 1962, and shortly after he joined the U.S. Army. When he returned, he began logging in Alaska before starting his career as a commercial fisherman. After a few years of fishing, he and David Kelly bought the Arrow, and were exceptional halibut longliners. In 1979 he met Jane, who was working in Seward, Alaska, and was interested in fishing. In 1986, they bought an 80-foot steel boat and named it Kema Sue, in honor of his late mother and sister. Jack and Jane were married in front of family and friends, at a fun-loving celebration at Little Beach in Gearhart. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 14:39
Alaska’s total commercial salmon harvest this year was ultra-low in both quantity and value
The number of Alaska salmon harvested by commercial fishers was the third smallest since all-species records began in 1985, and the value to harvesters, when adjusted for inflation, was the lowest reported since 1975, state officials said. Additionally, the 450 million pounds of salmon that the total harvest contained was the lowest on record, officials said. The totals come from a preliminary recap of this year’s salmon season issued on Nov. 18 by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Only 101.2 million salmon were harvested this year, less than half the 232.2 million harvested last year, the department reported. The money paid to fishers for their catches, known as ex-vessel value, totaled $304 million, down from $398 million last year, the department said, In the Bristol Bay region, site of the world’s biggest sockeye runs, this year’s return was well above projections and 7% higher than the 20-year average, though the amount commercially harvested was a bit below the average. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 16:09
Commercial Fisherman/Vietnam Veteran Ronald Raymond Rust of Kenai, Alaska, has passed away
He spent his younger years living in Fairbanks. Ron and his wife Kathy moved their family to Kenai in 1981, where he lived until his passing on October 14, 2024 with his son Daniel at his side. Ron was a decorated Vietnam Veteran with an E-5 ranking in the Army. Ron was a commercial fisherman in the Cook Inlet for 59 years. His boys grew up fishing with him on his boat the “FV TIGER”. Ron also drove a school bus for over 10 years, while doing so he participated in many bus rodeos where he took championship awards for several of those years. He was an avid dart thrower. Rons greatest pleasure in his last years was to drive to the canneries and visit with his fisherman friends. and share pictures and generally sharing stories about the past with them. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:25
Dire condition of Alaska’s seafood industry has many causes and no easy fixes, experts say
State officials and industry leaders trying to rescue the ailing Alaska seafood industry are facing daunting challenges, recently released numbers show. The industry lost $1.8 billion last year, the result of low prices, closed harvests and other problems, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. State Rep. Bryce Edgmon, I-Dillingham, part of a task force charged with making recommendations on ways that lawmakers can help rescue the industry, said the solutions will be difficult and will require the full attention of his colleagues next year. Joe Bundrant, chief executive officer of Trident Seafoods, described how Russian fish production is part of a “perfect storm” of low prices, devaluation of Alaska’s product and a geopolitical landscape “like I’ve never seen anything close to it.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 14:36
Pacific Seafood Halts All Processing in Eureka, Laying Off an Undisclosed Number of Employees
Pacific Seafood, the processing and distribution giant based in Clackamas, Ore., has halted all processing activity at its Eureka plant, dramatically scaling back its operations there and laying off an undisclosed number of local employees. The seafood getting unloaded here in Eureka is now being shipped north for processing at Pacific Seafood plants in Oregon, Ogan said. The 83-year-old company has nearly 40 locations across the country — from Kodiak, Alaska, to Miami, Fla. — and employs somewhere in the neighborhood of 2,500 people nationwide. Local fisherman Mike Cunningham, who has been selling his catch to Pacific Seafood for 35 years, said the company has removed much of its processing equipment and shipped it north to plants in Oregon, where it anticipates more abundant crabbing. “They are going to continue to buy crabs here, and they have some residual processing capacity,” Cunningham said. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 15:37
Adventurer/Commercial Fisherman Carla Jean Milburn has passed away peacefully in her sleep in Homer, Ak.
Carla Jean Milburn, born June 24, 1955, passed away peacefully in her sleep in the early morning hours of November 2, 2024 in Homer, Alaska. Born in Spokane, WA to Jeannine Fay (McLaren) Milburn and Don Devereaux Milburn, Carla attended Manson schools in Lake Chelan. After graduation in 1973 she was ready for …. adventure! Living in a fishing town Carla was lured to the water and soon took jobs on seiners and drift commercial boats in the Cook Inlet. Loving to work with fibers she then picked up the skill of mending and building nets. In short order she built a big shop on her property for fitting the long nets in. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:18
Federal judge dismisses Alaska trawlers’ lawsuit that sought to overturn halibut limits
A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit that sought to overturn new halibut bycatch limits on deep-sea trawlers that fish in federal waters off Alaska. The lawsuit was filed by Groundfish Forum Inc., a Seattle-based trawl trade group, after the North Pacific Fishery Management Council passed a rule that reduces halibut bycatch limits for many trawlers when there are fewer halibut in Alaska waters. The National Marine Fisheries Service, in charge of implementing the rule, moved to dismiss the lawsuit, and U.S. District Court Judge Sharon Gleason ruled in favor of the agency on Nov. 8. Intrafish, a trade publication, first reported on the ruling. The lawsuit has been a major issue in fishing communities across the Gulf of Alaska. Some of those communities joined the federal government in defense, as did various fishing and conservation organizations. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:22
Silver Bay Seafoods acquires Peter Pan Seafoods facilities from Rodger May
Silver Bay Seafoods will acquire processing plants in Dillingham and Port Moller, along with fishery support sites in Dillingham and North Naknek. Silver Bay announced the acquisition from Rodger May, the former co-owner of Peter Pan Seafoods, in a press release Wednesday. The Dillingham and Port Moller plants are Silver Bay’s fourth and fifth plant acquisitions this year. It also took over Peter Pan’s plant in Valdez last spring, and Trident Seafoods plants in Ketchikan and False Pass. Silver Bay said for the latest deal, both parties agreed to immediately transfer control of the facilities while the actual transfer of ownership is finalized. Silver Bay says this will “ensure a seamless transition for fisherman, communities, and employees.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:55
Alaska fisherman could get six months in prison after attempting to kill sperm whale
Federal prosecutors are recommending that an Alaska fisher serve six months in prison, pay a $25,000 fine and be banned from commercial fishing for a year after lying about fishing catches and trying to kill an endangered sperm whale. Dugan Paul Daniels pleaded guilty to a federal misdemeanor earlier this year, and prosecutors released their sentencing recommendation on Tuesday. According to court documents, Daniels became infuriated in March 2020 when a whale began taking fish from his longline fishing gear and damaging equipment. This kind of behavior has been seen for decades across Alaska’s coast, but prosecutors say this is the first time in Alaska that a fisher has attempted to kill a whale in retaliation, and it may be the first time nationally. links, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 14:34
Charting a course toward seafood independence for Alaska’s vulnerable food systems
As a commercial fisherman based in Sitka and the executive director of the Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association (ALFA), I’ve spent decades navigating Alaska’s challenging waters and the headwinds facing our fishing communities. Alaska’s coastal residents are resilient, but they are up against a new magnitude of challenges. The loss of fishing access and community-based processing capacity, along with a dearth of local markets for seafood, are straining once vibrant fishing economies up and down our coastline. I recently contributed to a fisheries access report commissioned by the Alaska Sustainable Fisheries Trust (ASFT), which highlights the outmigration of fishing access in Southeast Alaska. Communities with historically robust local fishing fleets now see few active vessels based in town. This trend is acute in communities such as Kake, which has lost its local processor — and with it, a viable market for resident fishermen. Through interviews and in-person engagement, ASFT’s report found that a common concern among fishermen was the loss of a local fish buyer. When this happens, resident fishermen often sell their permits or abandon fishing altogether. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< By Linda Behnken 12:05
‘A friend to everybody’: Sitka man killed in bear mauling remembered by colleagues
Tad Fujioka was an avid outdoorsman whose love of fishing led him to trade the engineering field for the commercial trolling one. But Fujioka, whose body was found Wednesday north of Sitka following search and rescue efforts, the victim of a bear mauling, is being remembered less for what he did and more for the type of person he was. “I mean, everybody that knew him, liked him,” said longtime friend and colleague, Norman Pillen, president of Seafood Producers Cooperative (SPC) in Sitka. Fujioka was the board chair for SPC and a big advocate for the commercial fishing industry. He was a strong family man and man of many talents, Pillen said. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:04
A major fisheries advocate, Sitkan Tad Fujioka found dead in apparent bear mauling
The call that Tad Fujioka was overdue could not have come at a worse time. On the evening of October 29, Sitka and the outer coast of Southeast were being lashed by a windstorm, with some gusts in excess of 50 miles per hour. Fire Chief Craig Warren says Air Station Sitka launched a helicopter, nevertheless, equipped with Forward-Looking-Infrared (FLIR), to search an area about ten miles north of Sitka in Nakwasina Sound. Fujioka was believed to be returning to an area where he had shot a deer on Monday in much better weather and had cached part of the carcass. The shock reverberated quickly around Sitka. Norm Pillen is the President of Seafood Producers Cooperative, where Fujioka was board chair. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:47
Pollock trawl closure sends economic ripples across Kodiak as fishermen adapt
Cole Hockema has been fishing since he was a teenager growing up in Oregon. Hockema captains the F/V Pacific Storm, a 100-foot trawler based out of Kodiak, which his father owns. The vast majority of the Central Gulf of Alaska trawl fleet is made up of local boats like his. According to the trade group Alaska Groundfish Data Bank, 19 boats were fishing in the Central Gulf of Alaska when the pollock fishery closed on Sept. 25. 15 of those are homeported in Kodiak. Normally, fishermen like Hockema would be out on the water until early November, when the Gulf of Alaska’s pollock B season typically closes. But this fall season ended just three weeks into fishing, when two vessels incidentally hauled in approximately 2,000 Chinook salmon, which exceeded the fishery’s annual bycatch limit. Hockema said the Pacific Storm was offloading its catch on Sunday, Sept. 22 when they first got the news about the bycatch and he knew the fleet would need to stop fishing immediately. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 16:27
Lifelong Commercial Fisherman Army Veteran Theodore “Ted” Reed Merrell III, of Juneau, has passed away
Theodore “Ted” Reed Merrell III, 76, died at his Fritz Cove home on October 16, 2024 after a long struggle with Progressive Supranuc Palsy (PSP). Ted and Lucy were engaged while Ted was on R&R in Hawaii and after discharge, they were married in Minnesota. They headed to Juneau as soon as Lucy graduated, driving Ted’s hot orange 1970 stick-shift Dodge Charger R/T. Ted soon got his own boat–an open 19-footer –and began a lifelong career in commercial fishing. Other boats followed: Diamondtooth (an ancient wooden gillnetter), Onni (a fast bowpicker with troublesome twin Volvo engines), Invictus, and for most of his career, the 45-foot Dundas. Ted had permits in many fisheries and tried crab, herring, and salmon gillnetting and finally settled into longlining and trolling, often accompanied by his son, Nelson. He fished all over the Northern Panhandle and especially liked downtime with friends in the fishing village, Elfin Cove. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 15:44
Red king crab harvest looking ‘very good’ so far for Bristol Bay fleet
The Bering Sea’s biggest and most lucrative crab fisheries opened last week, and so far, fishing is looking good. “Fishing has been very good for the [Bristol Bay red king crab] fleet this season and the crab delivered so far has been of high quality — new shell, large size, good meat-fill,” said Alaska Department of Fish and Game Area Management Biologist Ethan Nichols. As of Wednesday afternoon, about 29% of the total allowable catch (TAC), for the Bristol Bay red king crab fishery had been harvested, according to Nichols. He said so far, reports from captains and from observer catch reports show signs of productive fishing. Nichols said 14 vessels had landed about 680,000 pounds of king crab. The average weight is 6.84 pounds, and the catch rate is 35 legal males per pot. Both of those numbers are up slightly from last year. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:14
