Unalaska, AK – The Transportation Security Administration will soon require mariners and other dock workers in Unalaska to have Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) cards. The cards will be necessary to get unescorted access to secure areas of places like fuel docks and processing plants. Bret Farrell of the Marine Exchange of Alaska is working to inform people of these new regulations. He says at least 400 people in Unalaska will need the cards.
Unalaska, AK – The Unalaska Fourth of July Parade is themed "Faces of Freedom." Pipa Escalante and Anne Hillman asked some of Unalaska's residents, workers, and fishermen what that phrase means to them.
Unalaska, AK – The city of Unalaska is working with fireworks expert Larry Mattingly to produce a 15 minute long 4th of July fireworks display. But how exactly do fireworks work? KIAL's Anne Hillman went to find out.
Unalaska, AK – The city of Adak can't afford to buy more fuel for their generators and is only providing power part of the time. Last year's bad fishing season left them in debt. KIAL's Anne Hillman has more.
Unalaska, AK – The city of Adak can't afford to buy more fuel for their generators and is only providing power part of the time. Last year's bad fishing season left them in debt. KIAL's Anne Hillman has more.
Unalaska, AK – The Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team is inviting people to contribute to climate change research by walking the beach to look for dead birds and bird parts. The program surveys beaches in Washington, Oregon, and Alaska to monitor changes in climates and ecosystems.
"In essence you have citizen scientists and volunteers that are walking the beaches determining how many birds are there on a normal, once-a-month type of time line," said Reid Brewer, the Unalaska organizer. "Over time you start to get a picture of what a natural rate of deposition is."
Unalaska, AK – Victims of the Alaska Ranger and their families are trying to claim damages against the ship's owner, the Fishing Company of Alaska. In response, the FCA is trying to invoke a 1851 law that says the claimants can only ask for an amount that's less than the worth of the vessel at the end of its voyage. In this case, the FCA says the 184-foot fishing trawler that now sits at the bottom of the Bering Sea is worth nothing.
Unalaska, AK – Increased fuel costs and reduced federal funding are limiting the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's fisheries research in the Bering Sea and may in the long run impact harvest limits. This year, the Aleutian Trawl Survey was cut completely and the Bering-Aleutian Salmon International Survey (BASIS) was reduced from 40 days to 20 days. Phillip Rigby is the program manager for the stock assessment and Ocean Carrying Capacity programs at NOAA. He says maintaining the surveys is important for predicting changes in ecosystem resources.
Unalaska, AK – A metal salvaging company is extracting scrap metal from the landfill and transporting it away for free. It's said to be a good deal for the company and the city. KIAL's Anne Hillman has more.
