The EPA  Thursday (11/4/10) DENIED the petition to ban the manufacture, use and processing of lead in fishing gear. EPA said the petition did not demonstrate that the ban on lead in fishing tackle was necessary to protect against unreasonable risk of injury to health or the environment as required under the Toxic Substance Control Act.

The Seine task force meeting is scheduled for Petersburg, November 30th in the City Council Chambers starting at 8:00 am

The Gillnet Task Force Meeting Is December 1st, 2010 in Wrangell at 9:30 am at the Wrangell Fire Hall.

Gillnet Agenda 2010

Seine Task Force Agenda 2010

Both agendas are still draft at this time.  Additional items can be added at the start of the meeting.

You can view the proposed draft regulations at http://commerce.alaska.gov/dca/ under the heading EXTRA EXTRA. Comments are being accepted through November 12th. The proposed regulations were developed for the purpose of chinook salmon mitigation direct distributions to help mitigate economic impacts to commercial salmon troll fishermen from the reduction in the Southeast Alaska chinook salmon harvest under the revised Pacific Salmon Treaty

Alaska Congressman Don Young introduced legislation that will amend Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to allow the sale of the intact pelt of an otter from Southeast or Southcentral Alaska stock of northern sea otters that have been harvested for subsistence purposes.

“This is another step in the direction of economic independence. Returning Alaska’s Native people the right to make further use of subsistence catches will only enhance the over all benefit a family receives from subsistence activities,” Young said.

Currently, Native subsistence users may only sell sea otter pelts for purposes of authentic native articles of handicrafts and clothing

Senator Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark) Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committe on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry introduced legislation to protect the use of lead in the manufacturing of ammunition and fishing tackle.  Lincoln’s bill would exempt lead ammunition and lead fishing tackle from being banned under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Toxic Substance Control Act.

ADFG has officially closed the Southeast Gillnet fishery on October 14, 2010. The harvest statistics for last week are confidential.

UPDATED

Following is the official NPFMC Motion

The short story is that for all halibut, sablefish and federal groundfish you will be assessed a 1.25{011364765f66369e3b18bfb4bff139a9c8654494d05ca41b290c33562211a86b} fee based on ex-vessel value.

Observers Council motion final 10-8-10

The FDA is accepting comments mostly on how genetically modified fish should be labeled if approved.  Comments are due by November 22nd, 2010.  http://www.regulations.gov/search/Regs/home.html#documentDetail?R=0900006480b3b456 This is the link to the federal register notice about the labeling.  It will also contain the information on where to send comments.

The SEINE task force meeting will be held in Petersburg on November 30, 2010

The GILLNET task force meeting will be the following day in Wrangell on December 1, 2010

Arrangements are being made for transportation between Petersburg and Wrangell.