A big snow crab harvest kept Bering Sea fishermen hard at work through the holidays. Now, it’s overshadowing the start of a major groundfish season, too.
The Pacific cod fishery kicked off in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands this month. There’s about 250,000 metric tons of Pacific cod up for harvest in state and federal waters.
Federal biologist Krista Milani says normally, pot-gear vessels over 60 feet finish cod before the end of January. But many started this year focused on snow crab -- meaning, she says, that cod season will probably run long.
Containment boom is laid out in front of the tanker Al-Amerat shortly after the spill. (Credit: USFWS)
Aleut Enterprise will pay more than $1 million to settle a court case and cover damages from a fuel spill at their facility on Adak.
The spill took place back in January 2010. The tanker Al-Amerat was unloading fuel at Adak Petroleum when the receiving tank and a secondary containment system overflowed.
About 70,000 gallons of diesel fuel leaked into nearby Helmet Creek. From there, it entered Sweeper Cove -- and Adak’s small boat harbor.
The proposed sanctuary would cover more than 730,000 square miles of federal waters. (Courtesy of Rick Steiner)
The waters around the Aleutian Islands support a dizzying range of wildlife -- and major industries right along with it. Right now, the government’s job is to help find a balance.
But as KUCB’s Lauren Rosenthal reports, there’s a new campaign to permanently tip the scales toward conservation in the Aleutian Chain.
It’s been two weeks since a proposal to curb halibut bycatch in the Bering Sea trawl fleet went down to defeat. The measure failed by a tie vote before the North Pacific Fishery Management Council.
But now, several council members are taking steps to pursue a new bycatch limit outside the meeting process.
Acting Alaska Fish and Game Commissioner Sam Cotten was among the members who signed a letter to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. They requested an emergency bycatch reduction next month, when the new halibut quota comes out from the International Pacific Halibut Commission.
Dept. of Public Works staff inspect the Manson's Saltery. (Credit: DPW)
Unalaska’s city council met briefly this week to discuss what’s in store for 2015.
In January, city staff plan to open bids to expand the Public Safety parking lot. That will require some heavy excavation, according to public works director Tom Cohenour.
Councilors supported Cohenour’s idea to use up the leftover rock from the worksite by building a park and footpath to the Manson’s Saltery. The city owns the abandoned historic site at the base of Haystack Hill.
Downtown Unalaska got a light dusting on Monday. (Credit: KUCB)
Winter usually has a different feel in the Aleutian Islands compared to the rest of the state. The days aren’t as short, and the temperatures are nowhere near as cold.
But as Alaska faces yet another year of below-average snowfall, the Aleutians are beginning to look a lot less exceptional. KUCB's Lauren Rosenthal has more.
At their last meeting of the year, city council will review work contracts that tie into two major projects.
The first contract up for consideration at tonight's meeting is with Wolf Architecture. The Palmer-based firm has been selected to design renovations at the Aquatics Center. That project will eventually include a new sauna and family changing rooms.
Wolf Architecture was the lowest of four bidders on the design contract. They also received high scores from city staff.
Police seized Dutch Harbor Asia on May 24. (Courtesy of Patrick Cyr)
State prosecutors have dropped their case against two Unalaskans accused of running a major drug operation out of their home and business. Now, it's up to a federal court to determine the outcome.
Tam Nguyen and Thu McConnell were arrested in May after police tied an alleged heroin sale back to their convenience store.
When officers searched the Dutch Harbor Asia shop and the couple’s home on Biorka Drive, they found one of the biggest caches of methamphetamine, heroin and cocaine they had ever seen in Unalaska. The street value was more than $500,000.
A familiar face has been appointed to serve on Unalaska’s school board.
Frank Kelty was the only applicant for the seat that Unalaska’s fire chief used to hold. Abner Hoage stepped down in November for a job leading the Ketchikan fire department.
Kelty says the school board "is about the only thing I really don’t have on my resume in my 44 years in the community."
