SEAFA sent a nine page comment letter to the council regarding the upcoming issues of allocation, compensated reallocation, 3A management measures and on the discussion paper for a comprehensive socioeconomic data collection. For every 1{011364765f66369e3b18bfb4bff139a9c8654494d05ca41b290c33562211a86b} of allocation in 2C that is transferred to the charter fishery from the commerical fishery equates into the loss of […]

NOAA Fisheries Service has published a proposed rule that would revise the seabird avoidance measures for the Alaska hook and line groundfish and halibut fisheries.  This rule would strengthen gear standards for small vessels and eliminate certain seabird avoidance requirements that are not needed (written plan).  Based on recent research, seabird avoidance measures would be […]

The gillnet task force meeting has been set for December 3, 2007 in Haines, Alaska.  If you have any agenda items please contact the SEAFA office or ADFG.

The Purse Seine Task Force will be November 27th, 2007 9:00 am to 5:00 pm in Sitka at the Harrigan Centennial Hall.  The date for the gillnet task force meeting has not been set yet.  Topics can be added to the agenda by contacting Bill Davidson (ADFG) or any of the area management biologists, Bob Thorstenson […]

The House and Senate is working on legislation for the Coast Guard Reauthorization Act of 2007.  In the house version (H.R. 2830) there are several sections that will affect commerical fishermen in Alaska.  Section 307 affects the Fishing Vessel Safety Act.  Changes in this section include: Deleting references to the “boundary line” and replacing it […]

The Board of Fish will be considering three Agenda Change Requests (ACR) that will affect Southeast Alaska at their October 9-11 worksession in Anchorage.  They are: ACR 1:  Add restrictions to the Sitka Sound Herring Fishery to protect Salisbury Sound (section 13A) stocks ACR 11:  Review of the demersal shelf rockfish management to avoid unattended closures […]

Ed Rasmusson submitted his resignation to the N0rth Pacific Fisheries Management Council effective January 1, 2008.

     The Juneau Group of the Sierra Club submitted a peition to list the Lynn Canal Distinct Population segment of the Pacific Herring under the Endangered Species Act.  National Marine Fisheries Service is taking comments on the petition between now and December 10th, 2007.  Additional information on the request for information from NMFS and the […]

The Coast Guard issued a press release on the 7th of September outlining a joint investigation into a fishing vessel suspected of illegal high seas drift net fishing five hundred miles east of Hokkaido, Japan.  The US Coast Guard with a Chinese Fisheries Enforcement Officer onboard, intercepted and boarded the Lu Rong Yu 6007 and […]