Court Issues it’s Report and Recommendations May 2, 2023

A Seattle Federal court judge issued on May 2, 2023 it court decision (Report & Recommendations) that all the trollers have been waiting for and dreading.  The court document vacates (definition: to make legally void/i.e close) the summer and winter troll fishery in Alaska.  What this means exactly is still slightly unknown and we will update as we find out more.

The lawsuit basically claims the Southeast Salmon fisheries particularly the troll fishery and the associated prey increase (hatchery) program violates the Endangered Species Act.  The court has denied the claims about the prey increase program but did find that the NMFS 2019 Biological Opinion (Bi-op) and associated Incidental Take Statement (ITS) was deficient.

We don’t know what is going to happen for this summer’s season, while the court vacated the summer troll fishery the State of Alaska Dept of Law has filed an appeal in the 9th circuit court of appeal and well as asking for a stay of the judgement for this summer and NMFS working with ADFG has been and is working to try and fix the deficiencies in the Bi-op and get a new ITS issued in time for a summer fishery.

Court order 5.2.23

SOA Dept of Law Press Release 5.3.23

ATA Press Release

 

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IPHC Annual Meeting Decisions announced

The IPHC announced the following Catch limits.

IPHC TCEY Harvest Table  (in millions of pounds)
2A 2B 2C 3A 3B 4A 4B 4CDE TOTAL
2022 Adopted TCEY 1.65 7.56 5.91 14.55 3.9 2.1 1.45 4.1 41.22
US Section Conference Board Recommendations 5.851 12.368 4.08 1.785 1.45 3.854
Proccessor Board Recommendations 1.65 6.96 5.851 12.368 4.08 1.785 1.45 3.854 37.997
IPHC 2023 ADOPTED LIMITS 1.65 6.78 5.85 12.08 3.67 1.73 1.36 3.85 36.97
% of change from 2022 adopted TCEY 0.00% -10.30% -1% -17% -6% -17% -6% -6% -10.30%
Canada’s share was a 10.3% reduction with an adjustment for 50% U26 bycatch mortality in AK

 

the following link is the same as above but printable

2023 Annual Halibut Meeting results 1.27.23

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NSRAA 2023 Salmon Forecast

Below is the 2023 forecast for NSRAA other task force documents can be viewed on ADF&G’s WEBSITE

2023 NSRAA Forecast

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Shrimp Petition Denied as being an emergency by ADF&G

When the board isn’t meeting, ADF&G is delegated the authority to determine if a petition meets the criteria for an emergency.

The Dept sent me the letter linked below today July 26th denying the petition as not meeting the criteria and that all points brought up in the petition were pretty much discussed  at the board meeting in testimony or  during deliberations and that it is not a lost or foregone opportunity but just  a delayed one.

ADFG Response shrimp petition 7.26.22

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SEAFA Submits SE Pot Shrimp Season date change Petition to Board of Fish

Southeast Alaska Fishermen’s Alliance (SEAFA) has submitted to the Board of Fish an emergency petition to change the pot shrimp season back to the fall based on a biologically allowable resource harvest would be precluded in 2022, creating a significant burden on the shrimp permit holders.  We will post a copy of the petition on our website www.seafa.org or you can email us and request a copy.

The process for an emergency petition when the Board of Fish is not meeting within 30 days of receiving the petition is that the authority is delegated to the Commissioner to determine whether the merits of the request constitute an emergency.  If the Dept determines the emergency petition justifies a finding of emergency, it will be scheduled for a special board meeting. The Commissioner has 30 days to consider, analyze and respond to the petition.

In addition, if two Board members request to hear the emergency petition a meeting will be scheduled regardless of the Dept analysis.  You can monitor the Board of Fish website at http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=fisheriesboard.meetinginfo (scroll down below the October 2022 work-session) to determine if a meeting has been scheduled (check often). Or alternatively, you can sign up to receive board of fish announcements via email, and by doing so would receive the announcement if a meeting is scheduled. We encourage you to submit comments on your thoughts between a fall or spring meeting date, market and biological considerations if a special board meeting is scheduled.

Shrimp Petition season date change final 7.1.22

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Regional Planning Team (RPT) Presentations Spring Meeting 2022

At the April 2022 RPT meeting, the Joint RPT reviewed the final 2020 data and preliminary 2021 SE Enhanced Allocation status.  At the end of the meeting the RPT received four presentations on current studies that are underway.

ALLOCATIONS Spring 2022 RPT 4.06.2022 (003)

Chatham Strait Predator Study Update April 2022 RPT

McPhee_RPT_Spring2022_Sockeye

McPhee_SERPT_Spr22_Coho

RPT SEAK sport fishery sampling_Final_april6

Additional hatchery studies were presented at the Board of Fish Hatchery committee meeting

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Free-floating buoys in Lynn Canal for Ocean Current Study During Gillnet Season

During May through September 2021, a team of scientists from the University of Alaska will be measuring the surface currents in Lynn Canal to better understand the speed and direction of the local ocean circulation. The measurements will be made using specialized current trackers engineered to drift with the upper 3 to 4 feet of the surface water. Each drifter has a float with a GPS and telemetry inside to send us data so we know where it is located at all times. We track each drifter position in real-time.

The photos in the attachment below show several drifters immediately after deployment, each with an orange surface float and drogue below to ensure the drifter follows the surface current.

See Lynn Canal Ocean Surface Drifters 2021 for  the location released and additional information about the study.

If you see a drifter in the water, please let it drift. If you see one washed ashore or grounded in shallow water, please note the location and let us know. If you wish to be updated on this work, or see a grounded drifter, please email:

Mark Johnson ( majohnson@alaska.edu )

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2021 Salmon Management Plans

Below are the links to the 2021 Salmon Management Plans

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King and Tanner Task Force Meeting December 11, 2020 1:00 pm

The King and Tanner Task Force Meeting will be held by a virtual Zoom platform on December 11, 2020 starting at 1:00 pm.

For link and instructions to join the Zoom meeting see the ADFG News Advisory

ADF&G just provided the following documents for the meeting:

2020 KTTF agenda FINAL 12.11.20

2020 Preliminary Tanner Crab Survey Results 12.11.20

2020-21 Tanner stock status_NON-conf_final 12.11.20

GKC Harvest Strategy draft fall 2020

gkc harvest strategy review 12.10.20

GKC KTTF 2020_December meeting_v3 12.11.20

gkc_for_comments_v3_ao 12.11.20

GKC permit holder comments 12.11.20

PVOA comments on draft GKC harvest strategy (002)

SEAFA GKC draft harvest strategy comments 11.5.20

Red king crab biological threshold 12.11.20

SEAK Commercial RKC presentation_2020 KTTF 12.11.20

 

Posted in Tanner Crab

King and Tanner Task Force Meeting

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) and Southeast King and Tanner Task Force (KTTF) will
meet between 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. on Friday, December 13, 2019. The meeting will be hosted at the ADF&G
Southeast Regional office in Douglas and connected via web conferencing at the following locations:
Douglas–ADF&G Southeast Regional office, Conferences Rooms A and B, 802 3rd Street, Douglas, AK 99824
Petersburg–Tides Inn Conference Room, 307 1st Street, Petersburg, AK 99833 (entrance on Dolphin Street).
Agenda items for this meeting include:
 2019 Tanner crab stock assessment and management outlook;
 2019 red king crab stock assessment and management outcomes;
 2019 golden king crab fishery performance and management outlook.
Individuals unable to attend in person can call-in from any location and if they have a computer, smartphone, and/or
tablet, can attend the web conference with instructions detailed below on the News Advisory

News Advisory

2019-20 Tanner stock status_non_conf_final

Posted in King Crab, Tanner Crab
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