Tag Archives: Bering Sea
New maps show Bering Sea holds world’s most acidic ocean waters
The world’s most acidic ocean waters are found in the winter in the Bering Sea, according to studies by scientists at Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory who have released a series of maps tracking changes in global marine acidity. Read more here 11:25
Data show stocks on the rise in Bering Sea
Alaska’s pollock numbers may be at the highest level since 1982. Alaska’s conservative management combined with the grace of Mother Nature are swelling the abundance of two of the state’s largest and most important fisheries. Bering Sea crab scientists and stakeholders met last week to discuss the outlook,,, Read more here 14:46
5-Year Crab Fishing Ban Lifted in Kamchatka
During the years of the ban the population of crab in Kamchatka region had grown from 38 million to 151 million, despite illegal fishing that brought poachers an estimated $500 million in revenue every year. more@moscowtimes
Coast Guard, good Samaritans respond to radio beacon alert from the 59-foot fishing vessel Western Venture in the Bering Sea Sunday
Coast Guard 17th District command center watchstanders in Juneau received a personal locator beacon alert registered to a crewmember aboard the Kodiak-based Western Venture at about 9:05 a.m. The PLB notification was quickly followed by a second alert from the vessel’s registered EPIRB. The notifications identifed the vessel and indicated the longliner’s position was 69 miles west of Adak. Communication 
with the vessel’s owner revealed the captain of the Western Venture reported a fire aboard the vessel Sunday morning via email. No further communication with the crew by the owner or the Coast Guard was possible. Watchstanders directed the launch of Coast Guard assets. more@uscgnews
Alaska Arctic Policy Commission Discusses Future of Arctic
Opportunity could lie out in the waters of the Bering Sea. That’s why members of the Alaska Arctic Policy Commission met for the second time this summer in Unalaska to discuss Alaska’s role in leading the way in shaping the United State’s arctic policy. more@ktuu
Researcher lays out three major possibilities for Alaska king salmon crash
Ed Farley, of NOAA’s Alaska Fisheries Science Center Auke Bay Laboratory in Juneau, laid out some of the reasons why scientists think chinook stocks have been in precipitous decline. But like other scientists who met this fall fo
r a symposium dedicated solely to the issue of Chinooks, the answer remained the same — no one really knows, and only one thing can help moving forward — more money to study the scientific reason for the decline. Read more
Seafood processors fined for releasing millions of lb of seafood waste into the Bering Sea, Gulf of Alaska and North Pacific Ocean
Three seafood processors agreed to settle federal Clean Water Act violations for their vessels’ seafood waste discharges off Alaska’s coast with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and pay fines. Aleutian Spray Fisheries, Inc, United States Seafoods, LLC and Ocean Peace Inc, and their vessels are responsible for releasing millions of lb of seafood waste into the Bering Sea, Gulf of Alaska and North Pacific Ocean every year. http://fis.com/fis/worldnews/worldnews.asp?l=e&ndb=1&id=57136
With ‘Deadliest Catch’ cameras onboard, crabbers head to Bristol Bay -an increasing presence of Alaska Natives and Alaskan-owned boats.
The Bristol Bay red king crab fishery opened Monday with a larger quota, Hollywood on board again, and an increasing presence of Alaska Natives and Alaskan-owned boats. “We call it the Yupikest catch,” said Morgen Crowe, executive director of the Coastal Villages Region Fund (CVRF), the community development quota group in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. CVRF has purchased three crabbers, the Bering Sea, Arctic Sea, and North Sea, and about a third of combined crew members are Yupik Eskimo deckhands. While none are captains yet, that’s only a matter of time and training, Crowe said, adding that the crew earned $50,000 to $80,000 during the last snow crab season, Crowe said. The Western Alaska Community Development Quota (CDQ) program allocates a percentage of,,,,,,,,,,Read More http://www.alaskadispatch.com/article/deadliest-catch-cameras-onboard-crabbers-head-bristol-bay?page=full
Pot cod fishing dismal – Bristol Bay Times Pacific cod fishing in the Bering Sea
The Pacific cod fishing in the Bering Sea has been slow enough to make some pot-cod boats quit and wait for red king crab to open next month. Click Title to Leave a Comment!
“It was pretty bad. I’ve never given up on a cod season before, and I’ve given up on this one,” said Bob Perkey, captain of the fishing vessel Ramblin’ Rose. “It’s not worth it financially to keep fishing.”
Early results were only briefly promising, said deckhand Geno Holmes. “We were getting 40 to 70, and then it just dropped off cold. We were getting two, three, four fish in a pot,” Holmes said, adding that his boat was earning 29 cents per pound of cod. http://www.thebristolbaytimes.com/article/1239pod_cod_fishing_dismal
Vessel replacement, Steller sea lions and crab on menu. The North Pacific Fishery Management Council meets Oct. 3-9 in Anchorage
The North Pacific Fishery Management Council, which meets Oct. 3-9 in Anchorage, is poised to act on a vessel replacement plan, as well as discuss Steller sea lions and the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands crab and groundfish fisheries. Halibut management and observation will also be on the table.
The council is slated for final action on a vessel replacement program for freezer longline licenses authorized for Pacific cod in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands.
