CHANGING TIDES

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 27, 2016 CONTACTS: Shannon Carroll, Fisheries Policy Director Alaska Marine Conservation Council 907.382.1590 // shannon@akmarine.org Jen Leahy, Communications Manager Alaska Marine Conservation Council 907.787.9257 // jen@akmarine.org Peterson and Laukitis confirmed to North Pacific Fishery Management Council Two long-time commercial fishermen from the Gulf of Alaska appointed Anchorage, AK — Alaskans Theresa Peterson and Buck Laukitis were co

By Shannon Carroll, Fisheries Policy Director Originally featured on the Marine Fish Conservation Network June was a bad month for fishery-dependent, coastal communities. On the back of the passage of H.R. 1335—a bill that puts short-term economic gains ahead of sustainable fisheries—the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) failed to impose significant bycatch cuts to the Bering Sea/Aleutian Island trawl fleet. As was noted a few weeks ago, Pacific halibut stoc

Graphic by Emma Laukitis With the June meeting of the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (the Council) less than a week away, supporters of halibut bycatch reduction in the Bering Sea are working hard to communicate to the Council Alaskans’ strong support for bycatch reduction. The meeting is slated for June 1-9 in Sitka, and will include discussion and potential final action on Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands (BSAI) bycatch reduction. Since 2005, landings from halibut fish

By Hannah Heimbuch, AMCC Community Fisheries Organizer Featured in the Alaska Journal of Commerce This time of year I split my days between my computer and the harbor, trying not to bring too much of the bait smell back to the office with me. Herring oil or not, it’s been my great fortune to find work in my hometown that allows me to always be talking about, writing about or looking for fish. I’ll be on the grounds this time next week, hauling in Pacific halibut, finding rhy

By Marissa Wilson, AMCC Board Member Originally published in the Homer Tribune Thousands of miles of coastline, spanning from Attu to Port Townsend, have passed like this. The ocean below our vessel once seemed a vast unknown, prodded only by our longline gear in highly specific areas — little lines draped along ridges at particular depths within abstract boundaries. Throughout my adolescence, I became increasingly aware of certain truths surfacing from those depths. Halibut

Commercial, sport and subsistence fishermen and fishing communities find common ground in call for bycatch reduction in the Bering Sea For more information, please contact: Hannah Heimbuch, Fisherman & Community Fisheries Organizer at the Alaska Marine Conservation Council, (907) 299-4018 Jeff Kauffman, CEO St. Paul Fishing Company, (907) 952-2476 Simeon Swetzof, Mayor, City of St. Paul, (907) 546-4472 Linda Behnken, Executive Director Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Associat

Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands Salmon Bycatch The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (the Council) concluded its April meeting last week following several days of discussion on the issue of salmon bycatch in the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands fisheries. In-river salmon fishermen who are experiencing low returns of king salmon and restrictions on traditional subsistence harvest expressed deep concerns for the conservation of the ailing Chinook population in western Alaska. On

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council meets in Anchorage in just a couple of weeks for their April meeting. The meeting week kicks off with the Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) meeting on Monday, April 6 and the Advisory Panel starts Tuesday, April 7. The Council itself starts up Wed., April 8 and runs through April 13. The big item on this agenda is final action on Bering Sea salmon bycatch, with a focus on reducing both chum and Chinook salmon bycatch. With

Community Protections, Bycatch Reduction Move Forward for Analysis Earlier this week, the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (the Council) wrapped up another long meeting at the Anchorage Hilton. The Gulf of Alaska trawl bycatch management program (aka catch shares) dominated the agenda, with over 30 people providing testimony to the Council. At this meeting, Alaska Department of Fish and Game Commissioner Cora Campbell made a motion to move forward with a formal set of

Another Big Agenda for the North Pacific Council Summer fishing season is winding down so it’s time for meeting season to pick up! The North Pacific Fishery Management Council holds their meeting in Anchorage October 6-14 at the Hilton. As always, there are a number of issues of importance to fishermen, fishing communities, and the marine ecosystem. Gulf of Alaska trawl bycatch management/catch shares, the observer program and Bering Sea ecosystem top our list of things to wa