Sitka. . . The Alaska Department of Fish and Game announced today the following information concerning the 2015 Southeast Alaska gillnet sac roe herring fisheries:
Seymour Canal (Section 11-D): There will be no commercial fishery. The spawning biomass is forecasted to be 1,666 tons which is below the threshold of 3,000 tons necessary to conduct a fishery.
Hobart Bay/Port Houghton (District 10): There will be no commercial fishery. The spawning biomass is forecasted to be 110 tons which is below the threshold of 2,000 tons necessary to conduct a fishery.
Kah Shakes/Cat Island (Section 1-F): There will be no commercial fishery. No significant spawn event occurred in the Kah Shakes/Cat Island area in 2014 to warrant biomass assessment.
West Behm Canal (Sections 1-E and 1-F): There will be no commercial fishery. The spawning biomass is forecasted to be 3,849 tons which is below the threshold of 6,000 tons necessary to conduct a fishery.

The Southeast Alaska Pot Shrimp Fishery Task Force will meet on Tuesday, January 20, 2015 from 7:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. at the Wrangell Fire Hall. Individuals who wish to participate in this meeting via teleconference should contact Dan Gray (747-6688) or Scott Kelley (465-4258) for instructions. Handout materials will be distributed at the meeting and will also be available at the Southeast Alaska Fishermen’s Alliance (SEAFA) website at www.seafa.org prior to the meeting.
Topics for discussion at this meeting will include: 1) a review of the 2014 season; 2) a review of stock status for 2015; 3) a review of experimental strategies in districts 6, 7, and 11; and 4) discussion of regulatory proposals for the 2015 Alaska Board of Fisheries shellfish meeting in Wrangell. Additional discussion items include regional management and economics of the fishery.

Documents will be posted as soon as available

Preliminary PSPSS results 2014

Shrimp Task Force Handouts 2015 (3)

fmr14-47_2015

The various Coast Guard re-authorization acts have additional regulations that are being phased in.  At the end of this post is a link to the USCG Marine Safety Information Bulletin that we summarized this information from.  Some new regulations to pay attention to are:

• Mandatory Dockside Safety Examinations:  By October 15, 2015 if you fish outside of 3 miles of the baseline territorial seas (remember there are new lines in many areas for the territorial seas) at least once every five years.  If you fall in this category you must have the first exam by Oct. 15th.
• Survival Craft:  As of February 16, 2016  the regulation for survival craft will read “a survival craft that ensures that no part of an individual is immersed in water . . . ” if you operate beyond 3 nautical miles of the boundary line.

For the following three categories, click on the link and view the information bulletin.

• Newly Built Vessels
• Load Lines
• Alternate Safety Program

USCG MSIB 018-14 – CFVS Requirements Update 5PC 12.14.14

Below you will see portions of the handout/presentations provided at the gillnet and seine task force meetings the first week of December by the hatchery associations and the Regional Planning Team (RPT) draft minutes from their meeting, a handout regarding the allocation plan and by the forest service during the RPT meeting.

HATCHERY PRESENTATION

2014 TF DIPAC

2014 TF NSRAA

2014 TF SSRAA

FALL 2014 REGIONAL PLANNING TEAM MEETING DOCUMENTS

draft Minutes Fall 2014 first draft

Report on Allocation of Hatchery-Produced Salmon Calculation 2014

Tongass National Forest fishpass construction repair schedule 2014-2019

This year both task force meetings, as well as the RPT, will be held in Petersburg at the Borough Assembly Chambers located on the 2nd floor of the Municipal Building at 12 South Nordic.
The Drift Gillnet Task Force meeting is scheduled for December 2, 2014 from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.
The Purse Seine Task Force meeting is scheduled for December 3, 2014 from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.
The Southeast RPT meeting is scheduled for December 4, 2014 from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.

ADF&G did their calculation according to the Dungeness crab management plan and based on the calculations there will be a normal length season.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today (June 10, 2014)  issued draft updated advice on fish consumption. The two agencies have concluded pregnant and breastfeeding women, those who might become pregnant, and young children should eat more fish that is lower in mercury in order to gain important developmental and health benefits. The draft updated advice is consistent with recommendations in the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

Previously, the FDA and the EPA recommended maximum amounts of fish that these population groups should consume, but did not promote a minimum amount. Over the past decade, however, emerging science has underscored the importance of appropriate amounts of fish in the diets of pregnant and breastfeeding women, and young children.

“For years many women have limited or avoided eating fish during pregnancy or feeding fish to their young children,” said Stephen Ostroff, M.D., the FDA’s acting chief scientist. “But emerging science now tells us that limiting or avoiding fish during pregnancy and early childhood can mean missing out on important nutrients that can have a positive impact on growth and development as well as on general health.”

An FDA analysis of seafood consumption data from over 1,000 pregnant women in the United States found that 21 percent of them ate no fish in the previous month, and those who ate fish ate far less than the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends—with 50 percent eating fewer than 2 ounces a week, and 75 percent eating fewer than 4 ounces a week. The draft updated advice recommends pregnant women eat at least 8 ounces and up to 12 ounces (2-3 servings) per week of a variety of fish that are lower in mercury to support fetal growth and development.

“Eating fish with lower levels of mercury provides numerous health and dietary benefits,” said Nancy Stoner, the EPA’s acting assistant administrator for the Office of Water. “This updated advice will help pregnant women and mothers make informed decisions about the right amount and right kinds of fish to eat during important times in their lives and their children’s lives.”

The draft updated advice cautions pregnant or breastfeeding women to avoid four types of fish that are associated with high mercury levels: tilefish from the Gulf of Mexico; shark; swordfish; and king mackerel. In addition, the draft updated advice recommends limiting consumption of white (albacore) tuna to 6 ounces a week.

Choices lower in mercury include some of the most commonly eaten fish, such as shrimp, pollock, salmon, canned light tuna, tilapia, catfish and cod.

When eating fish caught from local streams, rivers and lakes, follow fish advisories from local authorities. If advice isn’t available, limit your total intake of such fish to 6 ounces a week and 1-3 ounces for children.

Before issuing final advice, the agencies will consider public comments, and also intend to seek the advice of the FDA’s Risk Communication Advisory Committee and conduct a series of focus groups.

The public can provide comment on the draft advice and the supplemental questions and answers by submitting comments to the Federal Register docket or by participating in any public meetings that may be held. The comment period will be open until 30 days after the last transcript from the advisory committee meeting and any other public meetings becomes available. The dates of any public meetings, as well as when the public comment period will close, will be published in future Federal Register notices at www.federalregister.gov.
http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm397929.htm

AK DOT drug and alcohol collection sites 5.19.14

USCG When to report casualties conduct alcohol drug testing 2014

USCG Report of Marine Casualty Form 2014

USCG Reporting Guidance Draft 2014

Here is the NOAA guide to fishermen’s obligations and response guidelines to whale entanglements.

NOAA Large Whale Entanglement Obligations & Response

John Jensen, Sue Jefferies and Reed Morisky were re-appointed as well as Fritz Johnson were confirmed by the legislature on April 17th.