Unalaska, AK – Today the Pacific cod fishery closes to pot catcher processors, following Friday's closure for pot catcher vessels.
It's a quick end to the season for the pot cod vessel. The 27 pot catcher vessels that participated finished in three weeks, even though their quota had gone up 35% over last year. This year's quota was set at 8,685 metric tons, while the 2010 quota had been placed at 6,422 metric tons. Last year, the 24 boats that fished cod took the entire month to wrap up.
Unalaska, AK – Copper River Seafoods has expanded its operations out to Unalaska. The company has partnered with the Siu Alaska Corporation to form Bering Fisheries, a small plant that's hoping to stand out against the city's seafood processing giants. KUCB's Alexandra Gutierrez has more.
Unalaska, AK – This week, the Alaska Board of Fisheries unanimously voted to open the western Aleutians to cod fishing - a challenge to the National Marine Fisheries Service, which had recommended a closure in an effort to protect the endangered western stock of Steller sea lions. Before the decision took place, Doug DeMaster sat down with KUCB's Alexandra Gutierrez to answer questions about the Steller sea lion biological opinion, the new regulations put in place, and why the western stock is having so much trouble compared to the eastern stock. Demaster is the science director at NMFS's Alaska Fisheries Science Center.
Unalaska, AK – Today, Pollock A season opens up for fishing. The total allowable catch has been set at 1.25 million metric tons, and 40% of that - or half a million metric tons - is available for harvest during the A season. The trawl fisheries also open today for cod, mackerel, Yellowfin, and Rocksole.
Unalaska, AK – For the past month, Unalaska has experienced a series of total and partial power outages, with three occurring in the past week alone. The outages have come as the city of Unalaska has transitioned to new generators for power production. In November, the two Wartsila generators at the new powerhouse were tested and connected to the city's electrical grid, and the new powerhouse formally went online in December.
Unalaska, AK – Today, the Alaska Board of Fisheries adopted an emergency petition filed by the City of Adak to open state waters in the western Aleutians to commercial fishing. The waters in this region have been closed since January 1 because of federal regulation meant to protect the endangered western stock of Steller sea lions. This action gives the parallel fishery a 120-day reprieve from the federal regulation and it limits the fishery to vessels 58 feet and under for the longline fleet, and 60 foot and under for the pot, trawl, and jig fleets.
Unalaska, AK – This week, the Coast Guard received five storm avoidance requests from foreign cargo vessels traveling through the Aleutian Islands on the Great Circle Route. Two vessels near Attu, two near Atka, and one near Adak were able to seek shelter in U.S. waters while the severe weather passed. This winter, the Coast Guard has received ten shelter requests, and half were made this past weekend.
Unalaska, AK – Yesterday an Arizona man died at sea while working on a longlining vessel. Oratio Gomez, 33, was fishing for Pacific cod aboard the F/V Ocean Prowler when he fell ill, according to Megan Peters, an information officer for the Alaska State Troopers.
"One of the people on board wasn't feeling well yesterday, and he went to lay down in his bed," says Peters. "Over the next couple of hours, people checked on him a few times and when they went to check on him again, they found him not breathing. They tried to resuscitate him, but their efforts were unsuccessful.
Unalaska, AK – A new legislative session opened up in Juneau today, and there are already a number of bills and budget items that could affect residents of Unalaska.
Both Sen. Lyman Hoffman and Rep. Bryce Edgmon have returned to the state capital after running unopposed. Hoffman continues to serve as the co-chair of the Senate finance committee, and Edgmon is now a member of the House finance committee.
