The local newspapers for the Unalaska and Bristol Bay regions are coming back into publication starting next month. However, the 2 papers are being combined into one publication.
Before publication ceased last year the Bristol Bay Times and the Dutch Harbor Fishermen were separate newspapers but the new publisher is combining the papers into one paper and hopes to begin printing the papers early next month.
The rats are gone from Rat Island and the name might follow suit.
The Aleut Corporation and the Aleutian Pribilof Island Association recently voted to ditch the now-inaccurate moniker and revert to the traditional Unangan name.
A federal judge has upheld the National Marine Fisheries Service’s decision to restrict fishing in the western Aleutians in order to protect an endangered stock of marine mammals.
The decision is the product of a year-long litigation process in which the State of Alaska, industry groups, and Aleut Enterprise sued NMFS over their efforts to stop the decline of the Steller sea lion population. They say that the closures of the Atka mackerel and Pacific cod fisheries are estimated to cost the industry over $80 million annually and that NMFS’ science doesn’t justify the restrictions. The plaintiffs also argue that NMFS failed to adequately consult the public in this process.
Last week Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano waived the Jones Act for the Russian tanker Renda so it could transport gasoline from Unalaska to ice-bound Nome. Among other things, the Jones Act says foreign-flagged vessels can’t transport cargo between U-S ports. Napolitano got around it by declaring the delivery a matter of national security.
But Wednesday, KUCB reporter Stephanie Joyce discovered another provision of the Jones Act – one that says foreign-flagged vessels can’t transport passengers between U-S ports.
The Department of Homeland Security has waived the Jones Act for the ice-class Russian tanker that will be carrying fuel to Nome in the new year.
The Jones Act prohibits foreign flagged vessels from carrying cargo between US ports. The tanker Renda needed the waiver to be able to pick up several hundred thousand gallons of gasoline in Unalaska for delivery to ice-bound Nome. Without the delivery by sea, fuel would have to be flown into the community at substantially higher cost.
The Clean Water Act settlement between Trident Seafoods and the Environmental Protection agency might not be quite settled. St. Paul’s tribe, Native corporation, and fishing association are pushing the federal government to reconsider terms that they say could lead to the closure of their only year-round processing plant.
The City of Akutan wants to grow. It has submitted a proposal that would expand its territory by 700 percent if approved by the state’s Local Boundary Commission.
The proposed annexation is of lands on both Akutan and Akun islands and the water that divides them.
Current town boundaries don’t encompass the airport that’s being constructed on Akun or a proposed site for geothermal energy development south of town. According to Akutan Mayor Joseph Bereskin, the city wants more control over development around those sites.
The Coast Guard icebreaker Healy will be in Unalaska for Christmas. The United States’ only operational icebreaker was scheduled to finish up its Arctic season last week, but a fuel shortage in Nome has pushed that date back.
The Healy has supported four separate scientific expeditions up in the Arctic over the last seven months. The latest was the vessel’s first wintertime mission, according to Executive Officer Greg Tlapa.
The Aleutian region isn’t exactly known for being a hotbed of architectural innovation. Getting materials out here is difficult and expensive. Then, there’s the wind and rain to deal with. All of that means that most of the buildings along the chain are more pragmatic than daring.
The International Living Future Institute is making Atka the site of its green building contest not in spite of these challenges, but because of them. They’re inviting teams to design an affordable, fuel-efficient home with a minimal environmental footprint that makes sense for the Aleutian Islands. So far, nearly 200 teams from across the globe have signed up to participate.
