Bristol Bay Sockeye Coming to Seafood Expo North America

Bristol Bay sockeye salmon is making its debut March 16-18 at Seafood Expo North America, formerly known as the International Boston Seafood Show, March 16-18 in Boston. The presentation will be made at the Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association’s booth on the show floor. The BBRSDA will also be participating in a panel discussion about sustainable seafood brands, and hosting a reception for fishery stakeholders and supporters at the New England Aquarium.

The reception will feature specially prepared Bristol Bay sockeye salmon appetizers along with an update from Bristol Bay representatives about the national campaign to protect Bristol Bay from proposed large-scale mines.

Bob Waldrop, executive director of BBRSDA, said the organization is excited to be heading to Boston to share the Bristol Bay fishery, its fishermen and salmon with the world. “Bristol Bay sockeye accounts for nearly half of the world’s sockeye production and we certainly believe that this is a product that people want to know more about,” Waldrop said.

The seafood expo itself attracts over 19,000 buyers and suppliers of fresh, frozen, packaged and value-added seafood products, equipment and services. Attendees travel to Boston from over 100 countries to do business at the exposition.

Beyond Pebble: Protect the Entire Watershed

Guest Editorial by David Harsila

The Alaska Independent Fishermen’s Marketing Association (AIFMA) applauds the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for its Watershed Assessment of impacts of potential large scale mining in the Bristol Bay drainages of Alaska. The Assessment is thorough, peer-reviewed, and comprehensive. It describes the risks of unavoidable, adverse, cumulative effects of potential large mines, including Pebble mine, on fish, wildlife, and subsistence, commercial and recreational fisheries in the region. AIFMA especially appreciates Senators Mark Begich of Alaska and Maria Cantwell of Washington for their strong support of Bristol Bay.

In May 2010, six federally-recognized tribes and AIFMA requested the EPA to initiate a public process under Section 404(c) of the Clean Water Act to protect fish, wildlife and the subsistence, commercial and recreational fisheries from the effects of potential mines at acid-generating metallic sulfide deposits in the Kvichak and Nushagak drainages, including the Pebble deposit. The tribes and AIFMA asked EPA to prohibit or restrict discharges of dredged or fill material, including mining wastes, into “waters of the United States,” i.e., those under federal regulatory jurisdiction, wherever the discharges would be associated with acid-generating mines at such deposits. In response, EPA’s Assessment describes the unavoidable adverse impacts certain or likely to occur if large-scale mining, including at metallic sulfide deposits, is allowed.

Beyond Pebble
Although most public discussion to date has focused on Pebble, EPA’s Assessment addresses all potential large scale mining in the Kvichak and Nushagak drainages, uses Pebble as an example, and identifies fifteen other deposits, too, where significant exploration has occurred as potential large mines in the drainages. These include ten other metallic sulfide “porphyry copper” deposits, which are the same acid-generating type of low-grade deposit as Pebble. The Pebble deposit, of at least several billion tons, is the largest identified so far. The others, such as the Humble and AUDN deposits claimed by Millrock Resources, Inc., and the Big Chunk claims of Liberty Star Uranium & Metals, are not fully explored. Therefore, the Assessment uses the worldwide average size of mines at porphyry copper deposits, about 0.25 billion tons, to assess impacts of mining the other porphyry deposits.

On its website, Millrock describes its claims as “giants” and the Humble prospect as “drill-ready”. The company says it is “currently seeking potential partners” to develop this deposit 50 miles northeast of Dillingham, Alaska.

EPA’s Assessment says that Pebble and similar mines in the Kvichak and Nushagak drainages would unavoidably destroy many miles of stream habitat for salmon and other fish and many acres of wetlands associated with that habitat. EPA regulations require self-sustaining, compensatory mitigation of unavoidable adverse impacts. The Assessment concludes that proposals for compensatory mitigation, such as fish hatcheries, pumping water upstream to replace lost water, removal of beaver dams (an idea long rejected by fisheries scientists), manipulating water chemistry, and reconnecting old stream channels Mother Nature abandoned, will not provide self-sustaining mitigation of lost productivity and genetic diversity of salmon and other fish.

That conclusion applies to Pebble and all potential large mines, which would affect fish in the Kvichak and Nushagak drainages. For this and other reasons related to likely unavoidable adverse effects, the EPA should and probably will adopt a Section 404(c) determination.

EPA’s 404(c) determination should apply prohibitions and restrictions, as facts warrant, to all potential large scale mining in the Bristol Bay watershed, including all deposits identified in the Kvichak and Nushagak drainages. EPA should prohibit discharge of dredged or fill material associated with large scale mines into federally regulated waters, including wetlands and tributaries, wherever: (1) the waters are used by salmon or other fish, or support subsistence, commercial or recreational fishing or hunting; (2) the mines, including tailings facilities and waste rock piles, would require water treatment forever or long term storage of toxic or acid-generating wastes; or (3) the compensatory mitigation will not be self-sustaining and cannot maintain the productivity and genetic diversity of salmon and other fish upon which the commercial, subsistence and recreational fisheries ultimately depend.

David Harsila is President of AIFMA, a commercial fishermen’s association whose members own salmon fishing businesses in Bristol Bay. AIFMA’s mission is to protect the renewable salmon resource and promote economic sustainability for commercial salmon permit holders in Bristol Bay. David can be reached at excel@seanet.com.

EPA Initiates Clean Water Act in Pebble Mine Controversy

Federal officials have initiated action under the Clean Water Act to protect the Bristol Bay salmon fishery in advance of development of a proposed massive open pit copper, gold and molybdenum mine in Southwest Alaska.

That decision this past week drew accolades from fish harvesters, environmentalists and others opposed to the Pebble mine and criticism from advocates, including miners and Alaska’s congressional delegation.

“There is no doubt that Bristol Bay’s salmon resource and its commercial fishing industry are a national treasure,” said Bob Waldrop, executive director of the Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association. “EPA’s twice peer-reviewed scientific study confirms this. It is not possible to place one of the world’s largest mines atop the world’s most valuable wild salmon fishery without devastating consequences.”

Waldrop said commercial fishermen welcome the initiation of this Section 404 (C) process under the Clean Water Act to allow for additional public discussion on whether such a mine is appropriate in this region.

Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-WA, also applauded what she sees as action to protect Northwest fishing jobs. “Washington and Alaska fishermen depend on Bristol Bay for their livelihoods,” Cantwell said. “Wild salmon populations already face a number of threats,” Cantwell said. “Adding mining pollution to the spawning ground for the world’s number one sockeye salmon fishery doesn’t make economic sense.”

Alaska’s congressional delegation meanwhile criticized what they see as federal overreach into Alaska land decisions.

“For the EPA to preemptively oppose a project located entirely on state land, a project already subject to a rigorous state permitting process, is a serious threat to any future projects on state of Alaska, Alaska Native, or even individually owned private land,” said Rep Don Young, R-Alaska.

The Pebble Limited Partnership in Anchorage also responded quickly to the EPA’s announcement, saying the EPA’s actions reflect a major overreach onto an asset of the state of Alaska. Ron Thiessen, president and chief executive officer of Northern Dynasty Minerals, the Canadian firm behind the PLP, said his company remains confident that final decisions about Pebble would come by working within the rigorous National Environmental Policy Act permitting process.

The EPA’s announcement on initiating the Clean Water Act is online at http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/596e17d7cac720848525781f0043629e/097dc6e31131100385257c8d0058f74d!OpenDocument

Sea Otter Recovery Status Questioned

A federal study released by the US Geological Survey concludes that nearly 25 years after the Exxon Valdez oil spill disaster in Prince William Sound the population of sea otters has returned to pre-spill numbers.

But marine conservation biologist Rick Steiner, who has tracked effects of the disaster for years, has suggested that due to uncertainties noted in the study itself that the status of the Prince William Sound sea otters be moved from “recovered” to “very likely recovered.”

Brenda Ballachey, the USGS research biologist who was the lead author of the study, said signs of recovery were seen in the years leading up to 2009, and the most recent results from 2011 to 2013 are consistent with recovery as defined by the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council.

Scientists assessed recovery by estimating the number of living sea otters based on aerial surveys and comparing that to pre-spill numbers. They also collected carcasses of otters that died during the spill. Those carcasses were evaluated to determine how old sea otters were when they died. Historically, and prior to the spill, most dead otters were either very old or very young, but after the spill more middle-aged otters died as well the study said.

Recovery was also assessed using studies to detect oil exposure using gene expression as a biochemical indicator, and the most recent genetic evidence suggested a reduction in oil exposure since 2008, the study said.

Steiner, who was the University of Alaska’s marine advisor for Prince William Sound at the time of the spill, read the federal report, then made his recommendations in an email to Ballachey, noting that the study itself pointed out uncertainty regarding the gene transcription data.

“Based on this uncertainty, it seems premature to conclude that there is no continuing exposure to oil, and thus that otters are fully recovered,” he said.

Steiner quoted from the study notes saying that the three 2012 Western Prince William Sound subpopulations of sea otters differed significantly from the reference sea otters.

He noted that the study also said “because 2012 gene transcription rates generally were low for sea otters from all areas relative to 2008, we cannot fully interpret these observations without data from a wider panel of genes.”

Researchers also said “we caution that the implications of overall low transcription observed in 2012, in terms of interpretation of potential exposure to oil, are not certain; and “this slight uncertainty with respect to the data from the biochemical indicator is outweighed by the strength of the data for the demographic indicators.”

Togiak Herring Allocation Will Be Up to 31,490 Tons

Management biologists for the Bristol Bay Herring Management Plan said March 4 that based on a forecasted run of 157,448 tons, up to 31,490 tons of herring would be available for harvest in 2014.

Sea ice extent in the Bering Sea is currently 5 percent below recent years, suggesting a slightly earlier harvest than that seen in recent years, said biologists managing herring in the Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s Dillingham office.

The harvest allocation, according to the management plan, includes 27,890 tons for the Togiak sac roe fishery, with 19,523 tons (70 percent) for the purse seine fleet, and 8,367 tons (30 percent) for the gillnetters. The allocation for Dutch Harbor food and bait is 2,099 tons, and another 1,500 tons is allocated for spawn-on-kelp.

Biologists said the 157,448-ton forecast was a 7 percent decrease from 2013, but 20 percent above the recent 10-year average. Age 6 herring are expected to comprise 11 percent of the projected biomass, with ages 7 and 8 comprising 35 percent, ages 9-11 making up 48 percent, and the remaining 6 percent age 12 and older.

The management strategy for the Togiak herring fishery is designed to provide for maximum sustained yield while affording the greatest economic benefit to fishermen and processors, biologists said.

The sac roe fisheries will again be managed to maximize product quality through long openings, allowing permit holders to make smaller sets and harvest the best fish available, they said. Processors will also have more flexibility to control harvest volume so that holding time between harvest and processing is optimal.

Available processing capacity is expected to be approximately 3,365 tons a day based on a preseason poll. This represents a significant increase from the 2013 daily capacity of 2,500 tons a day.

The preseason poll also indicates there will be seven processing companies participating in the Togiak sac roe herring fishery and fleet size is expected to be 38 gillnet and 29 purse seine vessels.

Pollock Harvest Climbs, Cod Trawl Slower for ‘A’ Season

Groundfish vessels in the Bering Sea working the pollock A season have landed upwards of 190,898 metric tons out of their total allocation of 1.267 million metric tons, which is up 20,000 metric tons over their 2013 total allowable catch.

Through Feb. 22, the last date for which federal fisheries officials have compiled all A season harvests, the pollock inshore sector had landed 77,916 metric tons, or 35 percent of their 221,856 metric ton quota, said Krista Milani, resource management specialist for the Alaska region of NOAA Fisheries at Dutch Harbor.

Last year’s A season quota for this sector was 94,176 metric tons.

Catcher processors had taken 64,893 metric tons, 37 percent of their A season allocation of 177,485 metric tons. A year ago, that allocation was 67,858 metric tons.

For motherships, the harvest came to 16,403 metric tons through Feb. 22, or 37 percent of their A season 44,371 metric ton allocation, which was down slightly from 17,629 metric tons land for the same period a year ago.

Within community development quota groups, the pollock harvest had reached 31,686 metric tons, or 62 percent of their 51,440 metric ton A season quota. That compared with 23,059 metric tons land for the same period during the A season a year ago.

In the cod trawl fishery, meanwhile, harvesters landed 24,157 metric tons, or 65 percent of their 37,079 metric ton quota through March 3, Milani said.

Last year’s cod trawl quota for the A season was 37,971 metric tons.

Halibut Bycatch Limits Tightened for Gulf of Alaska

Federal fisheries officials have implemented a plan approved in 2012 by the North Pacific Fishery Management Council to tighten limits on the incidental capture of halibut in commercial groundfish fisheries in the Gulf of Alaska. The final rule was published Feb. 20 in the Federal Register.

Amendment 95 to the fishery management plan for groundfish in the Gulf modifies halibut prohibited species catch management in the Gulf by establishing halibut prohibited species catch limits for the Gulf in federal regulation and reducing Gulf halibut prohibited Species limits for the trawl and hook-and-line gear sectors.

The reduction to the trawl gear PSC limit also proportionately reduces a subset of trawl halibut PSC limits, also known as sideboard limits, for American Fisheries Act, Amendment 80 and Central Gulf of Alaska rockfish program vessels.

The regulations also incorporate three measures to minimize adverse economic impacts on fishing industry sectors. Bruce Leaman, executive director of the International Pacific Halibut Commission, said that the commission would like to see estimates of the incidental catch of halibut in these fisheries continually validated and the program expanded for broader coverage.

Leaman noted that there is not a lot of recruitment going on at this time in the halibut fishery, so that the IPHC is not expecting a rapid turnaround of stock biomass as a result of this action. From the perspective of the Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association, in Sitka, Alaska, this action is long overdue, particularly given the dramatic reductions in the commercial catch limit, so that stocks are allowed to rebuild, said Linda Behnken, executive director of ALFA.

“Year classes have been below average for a decade,” Behnken said. “Fish are growing more slowly, so the biomass is down more than the numbers would indicate. There is no clear sign of a strong recruitment year, a strong year class coming,” she said. “This will help to take much pressure off that young component of the stock, give them a chance to grow and promote rebuilding.

“We would all like to see a bigger reduction in bycatch, but the council did actually adopt the largest percent reduction alternative at that June meeting and then phased it in over time.”

While the capture plan was a long time coming, it is an important part of jointly sharing and conserving the halibut resource, and an allocation in place that will allow harvesters to work together to rebuild stocks, she said.