Unalaska, AK – Pollock fishermen in the Bering Sea have hauled in an unusually large amount of squid this summer, causing serious problems for the fishery. Boats have netted about 1,300 metric tons of squid along with their pollock since January, which is about 300 metric tons over the federally allowed limit.
As of Friday, boats were catching about 500 tons of squid a week, a rate that the National Marine Fisheries Service estimates could push squid into the overfishing range by early next week. As a result, NMFS added squid to the list of prohibited species for the fishery on Friday. In an effort to avoid further restrictions, pollock boats are voluntarily fishing farther north in the Bering Sea, in some cases as far away as the Pribilof Islands.
Unalaska, AK – The annual Ballyhoo Run took place this Saturday with 25 runners competing on the grueling course. The race, up and down the slope of Mount Ballyhoo on Amaknak Island, is 2.5 miles for adults and teens and 1.5 miles for runners twelve and under.
The overall youth winner was 12-year-old Patricia Lekanoff, who finished in 32.42. She was followed by Mitchell Swetzoff, who won in the teen boys category and Natalie Waldron, who got second in the youth girls category.
Unalaska, AK – The 2006-2007 golden king crab season in the Aleutians will open August 15. The commercial fishery will open at noon on the 15th and close at 11:59 p.m. on May 15, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game announced today. The total allowable catch has been set at 5.7 million pounds. More details are available from the ADF&G offices in Dutch Harbor and Kodiak.
Unalaska, AK – Alyssa McDonald will not run for City Council again this fall, the council member announced yesterday. McDonald, who has served on the council for two years, says she's been trying to decide whether to pursue a second term since February.
McDonald said a number of factors went into the decision. Her business, MAC Enterprises, which primarily serves the fishing industry, has taken on additional work such as sport fishing charters since shrinking fleets in Dutch Harbor reduced the company's customer base.
Unalaska, AK – Steward Road at East Broadway will be closed beginning July 20 for construction.
The existing one-lane bridge will be replaced with two lanes to improve safety and traffic flow, the Unalaska Department of Public Works and Utilities said in a press release Thursday.
The bridge will reopen on November 10. Until then, traffic will be rerouted down East Broadway to the southern intersection with Steward Road.
Unalaska, AK – The Marine Conservation Alliance is hoping to extend their marine debris clean-up program to Unalaska next month. Project coordinator Bob King said the program aims to clear the island of the fishing and shipping industry detritus that washes up by the ton on the beaches of this and other coastal communities.
King was in Unalaska last week, identifying potential sites for future clean-up. His organization, which is made up primarily of members of the fishing industry and fishing communities, operates the cleanup program on a federal government contract. The M-C-A began doing similar work in the Pribilof Islands several years ago, where it now oversees annual cleanups this year's netted an estimated 20 tons of debris on St. Paul Island alone. Similar projects have taken place in other coastal areas around the state, including Prince William Sound and Sitka.
Unalaska, AK – The state House and Senate gaveled in another special session last night. One of the Legislature's two priorities for the meeting is to reach a resolution on how oil companies should pay taxes to the state. Governor Frank Murkowski has proposed a bill that would require the companies to pay a tax based on 20 percent of their total profits in Alaska. Some members of the Legislature have other ideas. Senator Lyman Hoffman of Bethel and Representative Carl Moses of Unalaska, both of whom represent the Aleutians region in the Legislature, spoke with KIAL last week about the upcoming session. The two lawmakers sit on the finance committees of the Senate and the House, respectively, which means that they are among the members who are considering the governor's proposal.
Unalaska, AK – Unalaskans Against Sexual Assault and Family Violence will host a new support group beginning tomorrow night. The program, called Women's Voices, will be a weekly gathering, and USAFV Client Services Coordinator Glennda Holmes says she hopes it will provide a forum in which women can talk about issues they may be facing at home.
Holmes says the point is to create an informal, supportive environment for women who may be uncomfortable talking about personal problems in a less personal setting. In the future, the program will involve speakers and specialists such as alcohol counselors.
