NPFMC Tables Community Protection Measures
By Stephanie Joyce
Thursday, February 14 2013
A push to give communities where crab is processed more input into the sale and trade of crab processing quota got a lukewarm reception at the North Pacific Fishery Management Council meeting in Portland over the weekend.
Of six proposed revisions to the Right of First Refusal program, the Council passed only three, tabling the others or dropping them completely. Unalaska resource analyst Frank Kelty says the decision was unexpected, and disappointing.
“Community protections measures were basically watered down so much that there wasn’t any community protection," Kelty says.
Coast Guard Medevacs Crewmember from C/P Starbound
By Stephanie Joyce
Wednesday, February 13 2013
For the second time in the past month, the Coast Guard helicopter forward deployed to St. Paul Island was called out for a medevac. Shortly after midnight Wednesday, a 44-year old crewmember aboard the catcher-processor Starbound started experiencing heart-attack symptoms. Petty Officer Sara Francis says given the severity of the situation, it was critical to get him to care immediately.
“They went out and hoisted him from the fishing vessel Starbound, a 240-foot Seattle-based catcher-processer, about 69 miles southeast of St. Paul. The weather on scene was 23 mile per hour winds, with 4 foot seas, and they brought him safely back to the clinic in St. Paul for further treatment.”
Kulluk Headed Back to Unalaska
By Annie Feidt -- APRN, Anchorage
Tuesday, February 12 2013
Update 02/13: The Unified Command has released additional information about the Kulluk's tow plan. You can find it here.
In the latest setback to Shell’s Arctic drilling plans for this summer, the company says it’s sending both of its drilling rigs to Asia for dry dock repairs. The Noble Discoverer needs an engine overhaul and the Kulluk needs major repairs to its internal electrical systems and hull after running aground near Kodiak on New Year’s Eve. Shell spokesperson Curtis Smith says the Kulluk was damaged inside when seawater came through open hatches, and that the hull was “compromised” in some areas.
State Declares Shell Rigs Exempt from Property Tax
By Stephanie Joyce
Friday, February 08 2013
After the grounding of Shell’s Kulluk drill rig in January, reports circulated that the company had been moving it from Unalaska to Seattle in order to avoid Alaska’s oil and gas property tax. But this week, as the Kodiak Daily Mirror first reported, the state decided that tax doesn’t actually apply to the offshore rig.
That’s despite the Kulluk being grounded in Alaskan waters on January 1, when the tax rolls were drafted. Assessor Jim Greeley says the rig is exempt because statute defines taxable property as:
“Property that’s use is in the exploration, production or transportation of unrefined oil or gas," Greeley says. "But it also states that that activity needs to be in the state.”
After Repairs, Massive Cargo Ship Leaves Unalaska
By Lauren Rosenthal
Wednesday, February 06 2013
Stephanie Joyce/KUCB
The Shin Onoe cargo ship has left Unalaska ahead of schedule, and without incident. Coast Guard Lt. Jim Fothergill says the vessel passed its sea trials and a Coast Guard inspection, and left Summer Bay around 3 pm.
Fothergill says this morning’s rough weather didn’t affect the Shin Onoe at its anchorage. The 1000-foot vessel spent two days in Summer Bay getting its turbocharger fixed after losing propulsion on the Great Circle shipping route.
Vessel Fire Sends Emergency Crews to Coastal Dock
By Stephanie Joyce
Monday, February 04 2013
A fire aboard the 180' F/V Alaskan Lady over the weekend sent emergency crews down to the Coastal Transportation dock, and one person to the clinic. Fire chief Abner Hoage says a leak in an oxy-acetylene welding hose likely caused the fire. It was quickly extinguished by the ship’s crew using onboard fire fighting equipment. Hoage says city fire crews helped ventilate the vessel, and provided transport for a crew member suffering from smoke inhalation.
State Mulls New Deepwater Arctic Port in Nome
By Ellen Lockyer and Stephanie Joyce
Monday, February 04 2013
The state moved one step closer to establishing an Arctic deepwater port last week. The US Army Corps of Engineers released a draft report Wednesday, naming Nome and Port Clarence as the best locations for a port.
"The Nome and Port Clarence area bubbled up to the top in part because there's naturally deep water there, and they've got the upland support that many of the other communities lacked," says Lorraine Cordova, the Corps' project manager.
Sea Ice Headed for the Pribilofs
By Stephanie Joyce
Friday, February 01 2013
Sea ice pushing south towards the Pribilof Islands could interfere with the snow crab fishery in coming days. National Weather Service ice forecaster Becky Legett says a low pressure system south of the Aleutians combined with a high pressure system in the Bering Strait area is creating strong northerly winds.
“And that is going to bring the ice edge down between 10 and 15 nautical miles to the southwest through Monday and early next week.”
Cost of Kulluk Incident $90m and Rising
By Stephanie Joyce
Friday, February 01 2013
Shell’s chief executives responded to questions about the January grounding of the Kulluk drill rig during the company’s annual results conference in London Thursday.
In a prepared presentation, Shell’s Chief Executive Officer, Peter Voser, played down the company’s many mishaps in Alaska last year.
“Despite making some progress we have run into problems in the last few months. Our rigs will need more work if they are going to be ready for the 2013 drilling season. One, the Noble Discoverer needs a series of upgrades, and the other, the Kulluk, ran aground in a heavy storm on New Year’s Eve and has been damaged.”