The Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council is taking public comment through Dec. 16 on four draft resolutions, including one for an ecosystem approach to address a broader spectrum of ecological impacts from the 1989 oil spill disaster in Alaska’s Prince William Sound.
The restoration plan approved in 1994 set policies to guide council positions for restoration, with a focus on initial impact boundaries identified as the spill area, where the most serious injury occurred and the need for restoration was greatest, while allowing for flexibility to respond to changing restoration needs.
During its October meeting, the council drafted four resolutions, including one to address a broader spectrum of ecological impacts, including adverse effects to ecosystem services and mobile fish and wildlife populations whose ranges overlap or intersect with the spill area.
The draft document notes that available science has consistently pointed to a broader ecological footprint attributable to the spill than is represented by the current defined spill area.
Alaska Department of Fish and Game biologists, for example, have shown red salmon in Prince William Sound are derived from natal streams as far away as the Copper and Bering rivers, and many of the 90 species of sea birds injured by the spill move significant distances – well beyond the designated spill area – throughout the year, especially during the reproductive season.
The complete resolution is online at https://evostc.state.ak.us/media/7350/20-d-evos_draft_tc_resolution_re_oil_spill_boundary.pdf
Comment is also sought on three other draft resolutions, including one to eliminate the annual trustee council public meeting, one to change procedures for approval of multi-year projects, and one to combine the council’s habitat and research sub-accounts.
Find copies of all the resolutions, plus additional information, online at https://evostc.state.ak.us
Comments may be submitted online at http://evostc.commentinput.com/comment/search
The trustee council was formed in the wake of the Exxon Valdez oil tanker striking Bligh Reef in Prince William Sound, spilling nearly 11 million gallons of crude oil, resulting in devastating damage to fish, sea otters, seals and seabirds.
Wednesday, October 21, 2020
Murkowski Speaks Out Against Pebble Mine
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, came out firmly this past week in opposition to the proposed Pebble mine. She told the Alaska Federation of Natives during their annual convention, which was held virtually this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, that it is was simply” the wrong mine in the wrong place,” and that it should not be permitted as currently proposed.
Advocates of the mine maintain that it can be built in a way that will not have an adverse impact on the world’s largest run of sockeye salmon into Bristol Bay, and also boost the area’s economy considerably, as well as state coffers. Opponents are skeptical of the project, whose construction alone would result in the loss of over 2,800 acres of wetlands and nearly 130 miles of salmon streams.
Murkowski said she has been clear that she opposes the project and that she intends to continue monitoring the situation closely. “I recognize the need for new economic development in Southwest Alaska,” she said. “I think we all do, but I simply think this is the wrong mine in the wrong place. But while we may have stopped Pebble today, I think now is the time to start thinking about the future. We need longer-term protections for the region that can also provide enduring value for Alaskans,” she said. Her comments drew praise from Neili Williams, Alaska director of Trout Unlimited, who thanked the senator for her commitment to advancing specific actions to safeguard the long-term health of the region.
SalmonState executive director Tim Bristol also applauded Murkowski’s stand on Pebble, in the wake of release of “the Pebble tapes” by investigators for a Washington DC based group who posed as potential investors in the mining project. Former Pebble Partnership CEO Tom Collier boasted in those video tapes about the close relationship of mine backers with federal and state government officials. He resigned shortly after the tapes went viral on the Internet and was replaced by John Shively.
Shively issued a statement saying that much of the content of those tapes was “boastful, embellished, insensitive and stretched credulity to its breaking point.” Meanwhile the Pebble Partnership is continuing to pursue construction of the mine.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which released a final environmental impact statement favorable to proceeding with the mine, is currently working on its final record of decision.
Advocates of the mine maintain that it can be built in a way that will not have an adverse impact on the world’s largest run of sockeye salmon into Bristol Bay, and also boost the area’s economy considerably, as well as state coffers. Opponents are skeptical of the project, whose construction alone would result in the loss of over 2,800 acres of wetlands and nearly 130 miles of salmon streams.
Murkowski said she has been clear that she opposes the project and that she intends to continue monitoring the situation closely. “I recognize the need for new economic development in Southwest Alaska,” she said. “I think we all do, but I simply think this is the wrong mine in the wrong place. But while we may have stopped Pebble today, I think now is the time to start thinking about the future. We need longer-term protections for the region that can also provide enduring value for Alaskans,” she said. Her comments drew praise from Neili Williams, Alaska director of Trout Unlimited, who thanked the senator for her commitment to advancing specific actions to safeguard the long-term health of the region.
SalmonState executive director Tim Bristol also applauded Murkowski’s stand on Pebble, in the wake of release of “the Pebble tapes” by investigators for a Washington DC based group who posed as potential investors in the mining project. Former Pebble Partnership CEO Tom Collier boasted in those video tapes about the close relationship of mine backers with federal and state government officials. He resigned shortly after the tapes went viral on the Internet and was replaced by John Shively.
Shively issued a statement saying that much of the content of those tapes was “boastful, embellished, insensitive and stretched credulity to its breaking point.” Meanwhile the Pebble Partnership is continuing to pursue construction of the mine.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which released a final environmental impact statement favorable to proceeding with the mine, is currently working on its final record of decision.
GAPP Said Pollock Industry Investments Are Paying Off
A new report released by the Association of Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers says for every dollar invested by the wild Alaska Pollock industry over the past two years the return has been $28.04 in wild Alaska Pollock fillet and surimi revenue back to the industry.
The report was released during GAPP’s virtual annual meeting, is the “Return on Investment” study commissioned by GAPP from Harry Kaiser, an econometric evaluation expert from Cornell University.
Kaiser said that the study found a very significant effect from the recent record purchases of wild Alaska Pollock by the federal government that equated to a lift of 4.8 percent in the value of wholesale frozen fillet block prices. Kaiser also compared the return on investment for GAPP with the return on investment of other commodity entities he does similar research for. According to the Cornell researcher, the investment in GAPP has yielded a return on investment almost double the median and greater than well-recognized commodity marketing organizations like pork, soybeans and beef.
Craig Morris, chief executive officer of GAPP, said Kaiser’s work helps organizations like GAPP in two significant ways. “First, the data provides those who pay into such marketing organizations independent, verified information relative to their investments,” he said. Second, and perhaps more important, said Morris, such data advises organizational leadership, like GAPP’s board of directors, about which specific activities are the best investments over time.
The report was released during GAPP’s virtual annual meeting, is the “Return on Investment” study commissioned by GAPP from Harry Kaiser, an econometric evaluation expert from Cornell University.
Kaiser said that the study found a very significant effect from the recent record purchases of wild Alaska Pollock by the federal government that equated to a lift of 4.8 percent in the value of wholesale frozen fillet block prices. Kaiser also compared the return on investment for GAPP with the return on investment of other commodity entities he does similar research for. According to the Cornell researcher, the investment in GAPP has yielded a return on investment almost double the median and greater than well-recognized commodity marketing organizations like pork, soybeans and beef.
Craig Morris, chief executive officer of GAPP, said Kaiser’s work helps organizations like GAPP in two significant ways. “First, the data provides those who pay into such marketing organizations independent, verified information relative to their investments,” he said. Second, and perhaps more important, said Morris, such data advises organizational leadership, like GAPP’s board of directors, about which specific activities are the best investments over time.
Wednesday, October 14, 2020
NPFMC Takes Initial Steps Toward Abundance-Based Halibut PSC Management in BSAI
Federal fisheries officials are moving toward an initial review analysis to establish an abundance-based halibut prohibited species catch management program in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands for the Amendment 80 sector of the groundfish fleet. The particular area of concern is area 4CDE, including the Pribilof Islands.
The North Pacific Fishery Management Council, meeting virtually because of the novel coronavirus pandemic, noted that the Amendment 80 sector of the groundfish fleet is accountable for the majority of the annual halibut prohibited species catch mortality in the Bering Sea/Aleutian Island groundfish fisheries. While the Amendment 80 fleet has reduced halibut mortality in recent years, continued decline in the halibut stock requires consideration of additional measures for management of halibut PSC in the Amendment 80 fisheries, the council said.
During the Tuesday, October 13 session of its fall meeting, the council considered testimony from 128 people, the majority of whom urged tying bycatch caps to halibut abundance.
The council then revised its purpose and need statement and alternatives for that initial review analysis with the intent of developing a program that meets requirements of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, particularly to minimize halibut PSC to the extent practicable under national standards for bycatch and optimum yield.
Sitka harvester Jeff Farvour testified that the impact of the excessive bycatch not only directly affected those fishing for halibut in the Bering Sea and halibut dependent communities, but indirectly impacts others downstream in the Gulf of Alaska and beyond. He urged action to link halibut PSC caps to halibut abundance.
Commercial harvester Darius Kasprzak of Kodiak agreed, saying the status quo PSC cap is no longer conscionable, in light of reduced halibut abundance.
Amos Philemonoff of St. Paul testified that the amount of halibut bycatch in the Bering Sea is unacceptable and that bycatch caps must be reduced and tied to halibut abundance. Another St. Paul resident, Michael Baldwin said that a significant amount of halibut related jobs in his community have been lost in large part because of the halibut bycatch in area 4CDE.
The program being considered would link the groundfish sector’s Amendment 80 fleet’s prohibited species catch limit to halibut abundance and provide incentives for the fleet to minimize halibut mortality at all times. The council said this action could also promote conservation of the halibut stock and may provide additional opportunities for the directed halibut fishery.
The North Pacific Fishery Management Council, meeting virtually because of the novel coronavirus pandemic, noted that the Amendment 80 sector of the groundfish fleet is accountable for the majority of the annual halibut prohibited species catch mortality in the Bering Sea/Aleutian Island groundfish fisheries. While the Amendment 80 fleet has reduced halibut mortality in recent years, continued decline in the halibut stock requires consideration of additional measures for management of halibut PSC in the Amendment 80 fisheries, the council said.
During the Tuesday, October 13 session of its fall meeting, the council considered testimony from 128 people, the majority of whom urged tying bycatch caps to halibut abundance.
The council then revised its purpose and need statement and alternatives for that initial review analysis with the intent of developing a program that meets requirements of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, particularly to minimize halibut PSC to the extent practicable under national standards for bycatch and optimum yield.
Sitka harvester Jeff Farvour testified that the impact of the excessive bycatch not only directly affected those fishing for halibut in the Bering Sea and halibut dependent communities, but indirectly impacts others downstream in the Gulf of Alaska and beyond. He urged action to link halibut PSC caps to halibut abundance.
Commercial harvester Darius Kasprzak of Kodiak agreed, saying the status quo PSC cap is no longer conscionable, in light of reduced halibut abundance.
Amos Philemonoff of St. Paul testified that the amount of halibut bycatch in the Bering Sea is unacceptable and that bycatch caps must be reduced and tied to halibut abundance. Another St. Paul resident, Michael Baldwin said that a significant amount of halibut related jobs in his community have been lost in large part because of the halibut bycatch in area 4CDE.
The program being considered would link the groundfish sector’s Amendment 80 fleet’s prohibited species catch limit to halibut abundance and provide incentives for the fleet to minimize halibut mortality at all times. The council said this action could also promote conservation of the halibut stock and may provide additional opportunities for the directed halibut fishery.
Sitka Longliner Honored for Promoting Sustainable Fisheries, Support of Fishing Communities
Veteran longline harvester Linda Behnken of Sitka, Alaska, is being honored for her advocacy of sustainable fishing practices and support of coastal fishing communities dependent on the ocean for their livelihood and way of life.
The Heinz Family Foundation, in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, will present Behnken on Nov. 19 with its prestigious 25th Heinz Award in the environmental category along with an unrestricted cash award of $250,000.
Behnken came to Sitka in 1982 to begin fishing to earn money for college. After earning a master’s degree from Yale she returned to skipper her own boat. These days she’s still fishing commercially for halibut and black cod, with her husband and two sons. She is also the executive director of the Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association, has served on the North Pacific Fishery Management Council, and has engaged in long term efforts to improve the fishery economies of coastal communities, train young fishermen in how to have a successful career in fisheries, improve fisheries management and promote more fisheries research.
“her success in achieving collaboration between scientists, industry and the fishermen who work the ocean for their livelihood is a model for effective environmental change,” said Teresa Heinz, chairman of the Heinz Family Foundation. “Her efforts to drive policy and practices that protect the stability of Alaska’s coastal fishing communities and the ocean ecosystem o which they depend not only give us hope they demonstrate what is possible when seemingly competing interests work together.”
Among Behnken’s achievements with ALFA has been a six-year grassroots campaign to secure a ban on commercial trawl fishing in federal and state waters off of Southeast Alaska. The ban now overs over 100,000 square miles, enabling protection of deep-sea corals and sponges, as well as long-lived rockfish populations. Her efforts have also led to establishment of ALFA’s Fishery Conservation Network, which engages fishermen in collaborative research with scientists to address conservation challenges and improve the viability of small boat fishing.
“We are asking managers to address bycatch of king salmon, halibut and crab and to protect these iconic and locally important species for Alaska,” Behnken said. “This battle is common around the country, where people are struggling to prevent family businesses and communities from becoming collateral damage to big industry whether it’s farming or ranking or fishing. This is what we’re up against, and climate change has exacerbated that challenge.”
ALFA has also established Alaskans Own, a community-supported fishery through which consumers can buy chares of a harvester’s catch. Revenue generated by Alaskans Own is invested back into the conservation of local fisheries.
Behnken came to Sitka in 1982 to begin fishing to earn money for college. After earning a master’s degree from Yale she returned to skipper her own boat. These days she’s still fishing commercially for halibut and black cod, with her husband and two sons. She is also the executive director of the Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association, has served on the North Pacific Fishery Management Council, and has engaged in long term efforts to improve the fishery economies of coastal communities, train young fishermen in how to have a successful career in fisheries, improve fisheries management and promote more fisheries research.
“her success in achieving collaboration between scientists, industry and the fishermen who work the ocean for their livelihood is a model for effective environmental change,” said Teresa Heinz, chairman of the Heinz Family Foundation. “Her efforts to drive policy and practices that protect the stability of Alaska’s coastal fishing communities and the ocean ecosystem o which they depend not only give us hope they demonstrate what is possible when seemingly competing interests work together.”
Among Behnken’s achievements with ALFA has been a six-year grassroots campaign to secure a ban on commercial trawl fishing in federal and state waters off of Southeast Alaska. The ban now overs over 100,000 square miles, enabling protection of deep-sea corals and sponges, as well as long-lived rockfish populations. Her efforts have also led to establishment of ALFA’s Fishery Conservation Network, which engages fishermen in collaborative research with scientists to address conservation challenges and improve the viability of small boat fishing.
“We are asking managers to address bycatch of king salmon, halibut and crab and to protect these iconic and locally important species for Alaska,” Behnken said. “This battle is common around the country, where people are struggling to prevent family businesses and communities from becoming collateral damage to big industry whether it’s farming or ranking or fishing. This is what we’re up against, and climate change has exacerbated that challenge.”
ALFA has also established Alaskans Own, a community-supported fishery through which consumers can buy chares of a harvester’s catch. Revenue generated by Alaskans Own is invested back into the conservation of local fisheries.
Deadline Approaches to Comment on CARES Act Fisheries Relief Plan
Alaska Department of Fish and Game officials are accepting comments through Oct. 19 on Alaska’s spend plan for the $50 million the state is to receive – out of $300 million nationwide - under the CARES Act relief for fisheries participants. The plan spells out eligibility requirements for participants in seafood processing, commercial harvesting, sport charter, subsistence and aquaculture. ADF&G officials noted that while all sectors have been negatively impacted by the novel coronavirus pandemic available funds will only cover a portion of the losses incurred by affected fishery participants.
After comments are considered and input is made into the state’s plan, it must be approved by NOAA Fisheries before eligible fishery participants can submit applications for review and payment. The Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission will then develop application materials consistent with the spend plan and solicit, review and approve applications prior to disbursing funds.
ADF&G officials said that funds are being allocated to each sector based on the revenue allocation methodology used by NOAA Fisheries to allocate funds to Alaska, with some modifications. The federal agency allocated funds to Alaska using available revenue information for the commercial harvesting sector (35.2 percent), the sport charter sector (5.5 percent), and the seafood processing sector (59.3 percent) including processors, dealers, wholesalers and distributors. ADF&G said NOAA Fisheries also considered negative impacts to subsistence fisheries during the allocation process.
ADF&G officials said since the NOAA Fisheries allocation percentages were based on past revenues and not on the estimated scale of loss for each sector during to the pandemic that the state agency adjusted the revenue percentages to be used. They were adjusted to 32 percent each for the commercial harvesting, seafood processing and sport charter sectors and 1 percent for aquaculture.
A copy of the proposed plan can be found online at www.adfg.alaska.gov or on the Alaska Public Notice System, http://notice.alaska.gov/199692
Written comments must be submitted to dfg.com.caresact@alaska.gov
After comments are considered and input is made into the state’s plan, it must be approved by NOAA Fisheries before eligible fishery participants can submit applications for review and payment. The Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission will then develop application materials consistent with the spend plan and solicit, review and approve applications prior to disbursing funds.
ADF&G officials said that funds are being allocated to each sector based on the revenue allocation methodology used by NOAA Fisheries to allocate funds to Alaska, with some modifications. The federal agency allocated funds to Alaska using available revenue information for the commercial harvesting sector (35.2 percent), the sport charter sector (5.5 percent), and the seafood processing sector (59.3 percent) including processors, dealers, wholesalers and distributors. ADF&G said NOAA Fisheries also considered negative impacts to subsistence fisheries during the allocation process.
ADF&G officials said since the NOAA Fisheries allocation percentages were based on past revenues and not on the estimated scale of loss for each sector during to the pandemic that the state agency adjusted the revenue percentages to be used. They were adjusted to 32 percent each for the commercial harvesting, seafood processing and sport charter sectors and 1 percent for aquaculture.
A copy of the proposed plan can be found online at www.adfg.alaska.gov or on the Alaska Public Notice System, http://notice.alaska.gov/199692
Written comments must be submitted to dfg.com.caresact@alaska.gov
NOAA Fisheries Looks at What Caused Low Survival Rate of Pollock During the GOA Blob Year
A new NOAA Fisheries study on survival of young Alaska Pollock during the 2015 Blob year in the Gulf of Alaska includes significant factors were low-salinity conditions that affected egg buoyancy, low abundance of prey for larval fish and poor body condition of age-0 juveniles.
“Marine ecosystems are complex with lots of connections,” said fisheries scientist Lauren Rogers. “When you are trying to identify what might be behind a decline in abundance of fish at a particular age, it is often a series of factors that are at play.”
The absence of larval and juvenile fish was due to environmental conditions that were not ideal for Pollock growth and development during the heatwave, she said.
In the Gulf of Alaska, Pollock play a key role as both predator and prey and support a $100 million commercial fishery. To understand how that marine heatwave affected Pollock, Rogers and her colleagues used oceanographic and biological data compiled from years of research surveys. Their analysis considered the timing of spring phytoplankton bloom and the availability of zooplankton prey for larvae and juveniles. They also looked at how warmer temperatures and reduced prey quality affected the body condition and consumption demands of juvenile fish prior to their first winter.
They noted that the adult population of Pacific cod also experienced a significant decline, leading to a severe reduction in catch limits.
They also found that warmer temperatures, together with reduced quality of prey, increased the amount of food required for needed by nearly 20 percent compared to an average year.
Information generated through this research has already been used in making management decisions.
The study notes that the number of Pollock born in 2015 is the lowest on record. While it is not unusual to see variability in how many Pollock are born each year, the lack of new recruits from the Blob years, especially 2014 and 2015, has contributed to very low age diversity in the stock in recent years, the study said.
“Marine ecosystems are complex with lots of connections,” said fisheries scientist Lauren Rogers. “When you are trying to identify what might be behind a decline in abundance of fish at a particular age, it is often a series of factors that are at play.”
The absence of larval and juvenile fish was due to environmental conditions that were not ideal for Pollock growth and development during the heatwave, she said.
In the Gulf of Alaska, Pollock play a key role as both predator and prey and support a $100 million commercial fishery. To understand how that marine heatwave affected Pollock, Rogers and her colleagues used oceanographic and biological data compiled from years of research surveys. Their analysis considered the timing of spring phytoplankton bloom and the availability of zooplankton prey for larvae and juveniles. They also looked at how warmer temperatures and reduced prey quality affected the body condition and consumption demands of juvenile fish prior to their first winter.
They noted that the adult population of Pacific cod also experienced a significant decline, leading to a severe reduction in catch limits.
They also found that warmer temperatures, together with reduced quality of prey, increased the amount of food required for needed by nearly 20 percent compared to an average year.
Information generated through this research has already been used in making management decisions.
The study notes that the number of Pollock born in 2015 is the lowest on record. While it is not unusual to see variability in how many Pollock are born each year, the lack of new recruits from the Blob years, especially 2014 and 2015, has contributed to very low age diversity in the stock in recent years, the study said.
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