Pacific Fishing May 2010 by Peter Hurme

Are salmon farms breeding super sea lice? Washington Dungeness Crab Fishermen's Association

www.pacificfishing.com

THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR FISHERMEN â&#x2013; MAY 2010

New health insurance rules and you

63126

Staying alive in shipping lanes

US $2.95/CAN. $3 $3.95

Increase the economic value of Alaska’s seafood harvest

That’s the mission of Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute

$5,800,000,000 The seafood industry is worth $5.8 billion to Alaska in terms of direct and induced economic output. A healthy seafood industry in Alaska beneﬁts public and private sectors.

Thank you for supporting ASMI and Alaska’s seafood industry.

IN THIS ISSUE ®

THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR FISHERMEN INSIDE:

Health care law and you Page 12

Invincible sea lice? Page 14

Does MSC certification pay? Page 16

Smelt listing and pink shrimp Page 21 On the cover: F/V Shady Lady lies in distress following a collision during the ﬁrst opening of the 2010 Sitka Sound sac roe herring season. Bellingham ﬁsherman Joe Trotter took this shot from the Dancer, which was tendering. More info on Page 46. VOLUME XXXI, NO. 5 • MAY 2010 Pacific Fishing (ISSN 0195-6515) is published 12 times a year (monthly) by Pacific Fishing Magazine. Editorial, Circulation, and Advertising offices at 1000 Andover Park East, Seattle, WA 98188, U.S.A. Telephone (206) 324-5644. ■ Subscriptions: One-year rate for U.S., $18.75, two-year $30.75, three-year $39.75; Canadian subscriptions paid in U.S. funds add $10 per year. Canadian subscriptions paid in Canadian funds add $10 per year. Other foreign surface is $36 per year; foreign airmail is $84 per year. ■ The publisher of Pacific Fishing makes no warranty, express or implied, nor assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the information contained in Pacific Fishing. ■ Periodicals postage paid at Seattle, Washington. Postmaster: Send address changes to Pacific Fishing, 1000 Andover Park East, Seattle, WA 98188. Copyright © 2010 by Pacific Fishing Magazine. Contents may not be reproduced without permission. POST OFFICE: Please send address changes to Pacific Fishing, 1000 Andover Park East, Seattle, WA 98188

Morons

Editor's note

I’ll be as sensitive as I can: If you believe the bilge about O Obama banning fishing, you’re a moron. (I’ll pause a moment while both of you cancel your subscriptions.) m I spent most of my life working for newspapers and this magazine, trying to find some approximation of t Don McManman the t truth. Nothing big, like the meaning of life. Rather, smaller things, like whether sea lice are becoming immune sm to insecticides salmon farmers use. (See Page 14) So it irritates the hell out of me when folks deliberately llie, whether they’re self-serving little political pricks or salmon farmers. (And I assume there is a difference.) s This all started a few weeks ago when a guy named Robert Montgomery wrote a column for ESPNOutdoors. In it, he said Obama was planning to arbitrarily ban commercial and sports fishing. Montgomery is a “senior writer” for BASS, “the world’s largest bass fishing organization” — impressive creden credentials to discuss ocean policy. Once a few problems — like the guy is a lunatic — were pointed out, ESPNOutdoors sanitized the most offensive of Montgomery’s comments and put an apology over what was left. It wasn’t just elitist liberals who jumped all over Montgomery. Here’s a fellow Southerner, bass fisherman, and outdoors writer, Jeffrey Weeks: “In what may be the worst example of outdoor sports reporting in the history of America, ESPN has claimed that President Obama is on the verge of banning recreational fishing.” But simple sanity couldn’t stop the avenging storm troopers of the loony-tunes legion. Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck rushed in where angels (being sane) feared to tread. Both men are not heavily burdened by reality, which makes pimplepopping indignation so much easier to achieve than, for example, actually telling the truth. Here’s the truth: The Obama administration has not, and never will, ban sports and commercial fishing. Forget Obama. No administration, regardless of its politics, would ban fishing. To believe otherwise is nuts! NOAA chief Jane Lubchenco and NMFS head Eric Schwaab initially denied a ban was being considered — on sport fishing. Dumb move. The paranoid among us saw the assertion as proof positive that Obama, while coddling sport fishermen, was shutting down commercial fishing. In a culture that so ennobles victimhood, the notion was purely irresistible. The rumor was embraced with the same ardor that a martyr embraces the cross. Trouble was, no one bothered to actually ask about commercial fishing. So we did. Here’s what Schwaab told Pacific Fishing: “NOAA is not planning to arbitrarily impose large scale bans on commercial or recreational fishing.” He said regional fisheries councils would guide decisions — just like under Bush Junior. But getting back to the guy who started all of this, Robert Montgomery, who’s equally as adept at reading the mind of the president as he is catching backwoods bass. Montgomery’s primary source for all insight, apparently, is Phil Morlock, director of environmental affairs for Shimano, a sporting goods supplier. And Morlock’s credentials? He works in Canada for a company owned by Japanese interests — superb qualifications, I guess, to divine the actions of the president of the United States. Limbaugh and Beck can have him. As for me, I’ll settle for Exodus 20:16: “Thou shalt not bear false witness.” Don McManman edits Pacific Fishing and makes a hell of a lot less money than Rush Limbaugh. WWW.PACIFICFISHING.COM

MAY 2010

PACIFICFISHING 3

STATS PACK PREFERRED PUBLICATION OF:

CORDOVA DISTRICT FISHERMEN UNITED UNITED FISHERMEN OF ALASKA WASHINGTON DUNGENESS CRAB FISHERMEN’S ASSOC. WESTERN FISHBOAT OWNERS ASSOC.

To Subscribe: www.pacificfishing.com/ pf_subscribe.html Ph: (206) 324-5644 Fax: (206) 324-8939 Main Office

1000 ANDOVER PARK EAST SEATTLE, WA 98188 PH: (206) 324-5644 FAX: (206) 324-8939

Seafood — Alaska’s top export Alaska’s ’ seafood f d exports were valued at $1.6 billion in 2009, down 9.8 percent from 2008. Japan remains the state’s largest seafood export market, followed by China, Korea, Germany, the Netherlands, and Canada. Next in line are zinc and lead exports, valued at $784.7 million; liquified natural gas at $256.7 million (most has been shipped to Japan for more than 40 years); precious metals, mostly gold, at $152.6 million (nearly all went to Switzerland); and refined petroleum products at $38.4 million (down more than 70 percent from 2008). Crude oil is shipped to U.S. destinations and, hence, isn’t an export. –Laine Welch

Forest Products 3% Other 6% ($221 Million) ($88 Million) Precious Metals 5% ($153 Million) Energy 10% ($328 Million) Seafood 50% ($1.623 Billion)

Minerals 26% ($842 Million)

Chairman/CEO

MIKE DAIGLE miked@nwpublishingcenter.com Publisher

PETER HURME peterh@nwpublishingcenter.com

EDITORIAL CONTENT: Associate Publisher & Editor

DON MCMANMAN donmcmanman@gmail.com

PH: (509) 772-2578 Anchorage Office

WESLEY LOY Field Editor

MICHEL DROUIN Copy Editor/Proofreader

BRIANNA MORGAN PRODUCTION OPERATIONS: Production Manager

DAVID SALDANA davids@nwpublishingcenter.com Graphic Design & Layout

ERIN DOWNWARD erind@nwpublishingcenter.com Project Manager

CHRISTIE DAIGLE Ph: (206) 324-5644 ext 222 marketing@nwpublishingcenter.com

SALES AND MARKETING: Advertising Sales Manager

DIANE SANDVIK Ph: (206) 962-9315 Fax: (206) 324-8939 dianes@pacificfishing.com

CIRCULATION & DISTRIBUTION: Circulation Manager

CHRISTIE DAIGLE christied@nwpublishingcenter.com

Seafood emerges from the recession before other perishables The seafood department suffered during the onset of the recession in 2008, but it came back in a big way in 2009. While other fresh departments benefited from the boost in sales spurred by consumers cooking at home more often in 2008, the seafood department took a hit. When 13 of 15 seafood categories increased prices in 2008, the result was a loss in volume for 10 categories. The only notable bright spots occurred in catfish, which consumers purchased more of as an inexpensive fin fish option, and lobsters, which consumers stocked up on after the category experienced a price decline of more than 10 percent due to abundant supply. The seafood department sales trends flipped in 2009. The bakery, deli, and meat departments saw some success throughout the first three quarters of 2009, but dollar growth didn’t surpass 5 percent. Produce actually experienced dollar declines in all three quarters. Seafood, however, increased consistently, with as much as a 10.5 percent increase in the second quarter of 2009. The exact opposite of 2008, there were 10 of 15 seafood categories that increased in volume in 2009, and the increases weren’t always driven by the lowest priced items. Value perceived by customers apparently drove 4 PACIFICFISHING

MAY 2010

WWW.PACIFICFISHING.COM

sales. Lobster, crab, and halibut — three of the relatively high-priced seafood categories — boosted volume anywhere from 21.5 percent to 80.7 percent. What fueled this impressive shift in seafood performance? As was common in all the fresh departments last year, promotion played an important role. Lobster, crab, and halibut all experienced doubledigit lifts in dollars sold on promotion, and even more impressive lift in volume sold on promotion. Health also played a significant role in the seafood department’s success across 2009. When asked why they are purchasing more fresh seafood than they did the year before, 82 percent of consumers attributed it to trying to eat a healthier diet. Additionally, 34 percent said they were eating less meat, and 18 percent said they were purchasing more fresh seafood, because they want their children to eat a healthier diet. With the fluctuation in seafood department performance in 2008 and 2009, it can be tricky to predict how sales will turn out in 2010. It is clear, however, that consumers are beginning to spend more if there is a perceived value. For some, value means getting a high-end product at a good price; for others, value means purchasing items that help improve their health. The key is knowing your consumer and what value means to them. –The Perishables Group

Looking back: Here’s how Alaska fishermen did in 2008, the

ASMI lists threats to the seafood industry The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute recently published its annual report: “Alaska Seafood 2010.” In it, the agency chronicled gains — and losses — for the Alaska seafood industry. ASMI also listed future business threats, many of which also may affect other states. Here is that section: There are a number of threats ASMI must counter in order to raise the value of the seafood harvest. Whether the concern is contaminants in seafood, confusion over eco-labels, or the global ramping up of aquaculture, ASMI must effectively challenge attacks, and educate the consumer, trade customers, and the media about the value of Alaska’s seafood. Examples of external threats to increasing brand value: • Uncertainty: Worldwide economic turbulence and a credit crunch creating uncertainty for Alaska seafood producers and suppliers. • Global aquaculture: Relatively constant wild seafood supply overtaken by aquaculture, which now produces more seafood than capture fisheries. • Competing nations, not just competing proteins: Pork, chicken, beef, dairy, and farmed fish are priced lower and have better funded marketing campaigns. ASMI competes against nations for market share and, in the case of many competing products, the governments of the countries (e.g., Norway, Chile, Scotland, Australia) are actively involved in providing funding. • Price resistance: Following periods of increase in value for particular species, Alaska producers are encountering price resistance. • Seasonality, consistency of supply, inelasticity of supply: Product availability fluctuates within the season and from year to year, and there are upper limits to wild seafood production in sustainably managed fisheries. • International economics: Currency fluctuations, softening of domestic or foreign economies (e.g., ASMI’s U.S. dollars in key overseas markets shrink dramatically when converted to euros, yen, and yuan), tariff, and trade barriers. • Increasing fuel and transportation costs. • Confusion over eco-labels: Proliferation of eco-labels in the marketplace (labels denoting sustainably produced

last year for complete records, as compiled by the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute.

Alaska Ex-Vessel Value $1.9 Billion in 2008 Herring 1% Other Groundﬁsh11% Salmon 24%

Shellﬁsh 11% Pollock & Cod 39% Halibut & Sableﬁsh 14%

Alaska Harvest Tonnage by Species in 2008 Herring 2% Salmon 16%

Other Groundﬁsh13%

Shellﬁsh 2% Halibut & Sableﬁsh 2%

Pollock & Cod 65% Source: ASMI, ADFG, SMIS estimates

seafood) and the issues of traceability and country of origin labeling require educating customers at consumer and trade levels about the Alaska Seafood brand and Alaska as the model of sustainable fisheries management. • Funding: Dollars available to support infrastructure and marketing, many federal sources drying up, promotional costs rising.

Market indicators that may affect your price Consumers think green: The environment remains a concern for many Americans, with 35 percent of survey respondents saying they would pay more for “environmentally friendly” products.

fishermen in 2009 was $3.13 a pound, down from $3.70 in 2008. For sablefish, the average price in 2009 was $3.21 a pound, compared to $2.58 in 2008.

White fish fillet imports up: Frozen groundfish fillet imports into the U.S. market showed an increase (+6 percent from 128,600 tons to 135,900 tons) in 2009 compared with 2008, but have not yet recovered 2007 levels. The 2009 rise reflects increased imports Sablefish price up, halibut down: by the U.S. not only of frozen fillets but The average price paid to Alaska halibut also an increase in imports of blocks. More Farmed salmon supply nose-diving: Global supply of Atlantic salmon will decline the most in two decades this year after a virus decimated output in Chile, bolstering the steepest advance in Norwegian prices since at least 2000.

specifically during this period, the quantity of frozen groundfish fillets imported by the U.S. was 89,200 tons, only 3 percent more than in 2008, whereas imports of blocks went up by 11 percent, reaching 46,700 tons. China is the main supplier of both fillets and blocks to the U.S., with 67 percent (fillets) and 33 percent (blocks) of total imports during 2009. China has increased its shipments to the U.S. by 5 percent (fillets) and 11 percent (blocks) during this period. China is an important re-processor of Alaska pollock caught by the U.S. and Russian fleets.

WWW.PACIFICFISHING.COM

MAY 2010

PACIFICFISHING 5

YOUR BUSINESS

Staying alive

by Michel Drouin

Burial at Sea made easy... as easy as falling asleep

Don’t end up on the beach — dead

You’re out alone, and you’re tired. Y Run in to sleep? Not enough time. Can’t afford the fuel. So, you do what you know you shouldn’t. You shut down. D Drift. Sleep. Then, you die. It doesn’t happen often, but it happens too often. A fisherman d dr drifting. A ship hits him. The guy in the ship’s wheelhouse — 100 ffeet in the air and 300 feet from the bow — doesn’t feel a thing as fe h hi his vessel crushes your boat, and you. The only thing left for your family is a few shards of boat the C Co Coast Guard finds the next day. On June 21, 2004, the 72-foot Relentless sank about 20 miles west of Half Moon Bay, taking David (“Rowdy”) Pennisi and Michael Odom. There was no distress call, but the boat’s Vessel Monitoring System stopped transmitting at 2 a.m. About two hours later, its EPIRB began transmitting. A Coast Guard helicopter found debris near the boat’s last known position. The boat’s life raft also was found nearby — empty. Relatives maintain the vessel had been moving—and not drifting — before it disappeared.

Serving the Longline and Pot FAS ﬂeet with markets for over 10 years

Joel Kawahara is a longtime fisherman based in Washington state and a board member of Washington Trollers Association. Kawahara has given a lot of thought into how to stay visible to other marine traffic. “The ship traffic coming out of the Strait of Juan de Fuca is fairly heavy,” he said. “Nobody’s been struck in a long time, but there are examples of boats that have been struck, and they resonate with you.” Trouble is, you’re small and hard to see. “They are doing a lot to pay attention to us, and it makes sense to help them, let them know we’re out there,” he said.

Class B or not to B?

Tony Cadden 219 First Avenue South, Ste. 310 Seattle, WA 98104 USA Tel: (206) 587-0005 Cell: (206) 499-4200

6 PACIFICFISHING

MAY 2010

Fax: (206) 587-0004 tony@tatooshsfds.com

WWW.PACIFICFISHING.COM

While ocean-going ships are required to use Class A Automatic Identification Systems, owners of smaller commercial fishing vessels might want Class B devices. According to the U.S. Coast Guard, the two classes are identical, except the Class B: • Has a reporting rate less than a Class A (e.g., every 30 seconds when under 14 knots, as opposed to every 10 seconds for Class A). • Does not transmit the vessel’s IMO number. • Does not transmit ETA or destination. • Does not transmit navigational status. • Is only required to receive, not transmit, text safety messages. • Is only required to receive, not transmit, application identifiers (binary messages). • Does not transmit rate of turn information. • Does not transmit maximum present static draught. • Cannot currently communicate to all Class A devices.

Mystery! To that end, Kawahara installed an AIS (Automatic Identification System) on his 42-foot Karolee. “Being aware of how much traffic there is, it does make you nervous,” he said. “That is kind of why I put it on.” Required on large ships in U.S. and international waters, AIS provides anyone with an AIS receiver the name, call sign, type, and position of the vessel with an AIS transponder. There are Class A transponders with 12 watts of power and transmitters, and Class B transponders at 2 watts. The stronger class is required by the international Safety of Life at Sea convention. Class B machines are designed for smaller vessels. One caution: Some Class A machines, if not upgraded with new software, won’t pick up signals from Class B devices, according to Ron Wright of Jensen Communications in Warrenton. Ideally, once all the AIS devices can communicate with each other, any vessel with an AIS receiver can receive information from other AIS receivers and display the course and speed of the other vessels. It’s a big ocean, Kawahara said, but there are times when it seems everyone is crowded into the same place. Sometime after Aug. 29, 2003, veteran fisherman Ken Tison went missing in his C-Lady. He was last seen about 60 nautical miles northwest of Coos Bay, Ore. continued on page 8

Having an Automatic Identification System onboard can be one more wrench in your safety toolbox, but unexpected — and unexplained — things can happen. Salmon and albacore tuna troller Joel Kawahara has a good example from the start of last season. “I was going to Neah Bay from Port Townsend, and the batteries were low. So when I started the boat, all the electronics beeped because they were re-setting.” Somehow, in the process, his AIS got scrambled. On his way, and even after he tied up in Neah Bay, Kawahara noticed a lot of Coast Guard activity. They were cruising around, looking for something. There were dock rumors of a drug bust on a sailboat from New Zealand and other stories. Next, Coast Guard investigative officers came along the floats, interviewing boaters and fishermen. “And these were the guys in black uniforms, carrying sidearms,” Kawahara recalled. “Not your regular rank-and-file guys in blue.” The Coast Guard officers asked if he had an AIS system and weapons on board. After Kawahara assured them about the latter matter, the guys in black asked if they could examine his AIS. Kawahara agreed. After examining his AIS, the officers showed him why they were nosing around. “They had this plotter track on their laptop that was the same as mine going from Port Townsend to Neah Bay, only it identified the vessel as a 33-foot Coast Guard vessel from Lake Michigan,” he said. “And they were trying to figure out how someone could pose as a Coast Guard vessel on the AIS. “They must have software that alerted them that one of their Coast Guard boats was running around. In any event, my unit re-set after about 24 hours and went back to the correct vessel ID.” And how did he suddenly join the Coast Guard in Lake Michigan for a day? The coasties haven’t said. –Michel Drouin

WWW.PACIFICFISHING.COM

MAY 2010

PACIFICFISHING 7

YOUR BUSINESS

Staying alive continued from page 7

Lines of defense Fishermen can buy several lines of defense in dangerous waters. Generally speaking, the more effective they are, the more expensive they’ll be. Devices, such as the WatchMate RX, offer reception of Automatic Identification Signals and alarm systems. The device does not transmit. AIS Class B machines transmit, but some Class A devices on large ships will not receive the Class B signals. A software upgrade on the Class A machines is necessary to pick up Class B signals. AIS Class A devices, if upgraded with new software, can receive signals from Class B machines. Radar with a guard alarm probably is the best alternative, according to Ron Wright of Jensen Communications in Warrenton. Cost and power usage are downsides. The seven-day search covered 101,000 square miles of ocean before it was called off. On Sept. 7, a life ring from the C-Lady was located 60 miles west of Crescent City, Calif. Tison had been fishing along the 125th meridian. Only a few weeks ago, a trawler pulled up what could be remnants of the C-Lady from the ocean floor 27 miles off Charleston. “Tuna fishing, a lot of times we fish on the 125 degree longitude line,” Kawahara said. “That is the inside edge of the temperature in the summer and that is the tuna water. It also turns out the 125 line is a major shipping route. “We go straight down the coast until Cape Blanco or Cape Mendocino. Ships coming out of the Strait of Juan de Fuca are going to California and they travel on the 125.” “When you are tuna fishing, you are in a traffic lane,” he said. “It is not an official

David (“Rowdy”) Pennisi went missing while on a trawling trip on June 21, 2004. traffic lane, but it’s like the I-5 for freighters and tug boats. They have to be watching in order to not hit you. With AIS it is easier for them not to hit you.” Most radar devices have some kind of guard alarm (also called a proximity alarm) system. With this system, the guard alarm zone can be set for a specified distance in front of the vessel or expanded to a 360 degree circle around it. It can be used for navigation or at anchor or when drifting. When other vessels, landmasses, or buoys enter the zone, an alarm sounds to alert the operator. Some radar devices also have a sort of “sleep” mode to save batteries, and they

FLEET REFRIGERATION Design - Installation - Service - Repair Serving the Southeast Alaska Fleet since 1988 We work with all manufacturers to supply a system that’s right for your requirements. Now installing systems using ozone-safe EPA-approved refrigerants. Wally McDonald, Owner (907) 772-4625 • ƀeetref@aptalaska.net 8 PACIFICFISHING

MAY 2010

WWW.PACIFICFISHING.COM

“wake up” at a set time, do a quick scan, and return to the sleep mode. Beyond electronics, fishermen should do everything possible to be seen. Leaving the deck lights and other lights on while drifting is one way. “I turn on all the lights I have when I drift,” said one tuna troller who stopped by at Pacific Fishing’s booth at Pacific Marine Expo. “That’s a 1,000-watt light in front, two 500-watt lights going back, plus deck lights.” An added benefit of all the lights is that it attracts bait fish, making a good kick-start for fishing in the morning. Fishermen also make an effort to space themselves out so any larger ship would probably get a good preview coming up on the fleet.

Sleeping and drifting a violation If you’re sleeping and drifting, not only is it stupid, it’s against Coast Guard regulations. You’re supposed to abide by regulations adopted by the International Maritime Organization, said Dan Hardin, commercial fishing safety coordinator for the Coast Guard in Seattle. Specifically, you have to abide by the Coast Guard’s Rule 5: You have to maintain a proper lookout.

LEADER IN MOBILE BROADBAND

Global Expansion Continues!

What broadband at sea was meant to be – TracPhone V7. SM

mini-

B R O A D B A N D

Africa is now live! Coming soon: Indian Ocean Region & Brazil

Dramatically cut your airtime costs and improve your ship’s operations with KVH’s mini-VSAT Broadband – the most affordable service for broadband Internet, e-mail, and telephone! SM

Fast, low-cost Internet at sea – Rely on broadband Internet with speeds as fast as 2 Mbps down and 512 Kbps up while saving 85% or more vs. other solutions.

Crystal-clear telephone calls – Make calls whenever and wherever you want using either of the two lines of integrated voice service optimized for maritime customers or KVH’s crew calling solution.

Easy to install and setup – ®

ViaSat’s exclusive ArcLight spread spectrum technology enables a small 24" antenna with dramatically superior performance, easy installation and activation in as little as 1 day!

Seamless global coverage – mini-VSAT Broadband is a rapidly expanding Ku-band global network with totally automatic satellite switching and seamless roaming between regions.

An end-to-end communications solution with a compact 24" antenna and a fully integrated control unit and modem.

“The KVH TracPhone V7 and mini-VSAT Broadband service are changing how we do business. The fast, always-on connection makes it easy to communicate with our office on shore and get all of the weather updates and other information we need. Having the TracPhone V7 onboard allows us to spend more time doing what we’re out here to do – maximize our daily production!” – Scott H. Bryant, Skipper; F/V American No.1, Fishermen’s Finest, Seattle, WA

Find out how KVH TracPhone V7 can change your business at:

www.kvh.com/pacificfish KVH Industries, Inc • 50 Enterprise Center • Middletown, RI 02842-5279 U.S.A. • Tel: 401.847.3327 ©2010 KVH Industries, Inc. KVH, TracPhone, and the unique light-colored dome with dark contrasting baseplate are registered trademarks of KVH Industries, Inc. 10_V7miniVSAT_CommFish_PacificFish “What broadband at sea was meant to be” and “mini-VSAT Broadband” are service marks of KVH Industries, Inc. ArcLight is a registered trademark of ViaSat, Inc.; all other trademarks are the property of their respective companies. Patents Pending.

YOUR BUSINESS

Staying alive

by Elizabeth Nozicka

A loss at sea means years of pain ashore Nearly six years ago, Elizabeth Nozicka of Monterey got the call everyone on shore fears: Her brother, fisherman David (“Rowdy”) Pennisi, was missing, his boat gone. A search was beginning. They found some debris near the Relentless’ last known position. They also found the Relentless’ life raft. Nothing more. Here, Elizabeth recounts those hours and days — and the years since. We found out the Coast Guard was looking for my brother Rowdy’s boat, the Relentless, when a friend called. He was out fishing and heard the search over the radio. My first thought was, it’s a mistake. My second thought was, they’re in a raft and will be found. We just had to wait. But they were never found. David “Rowdy” Pennisi, 43, and his crew member, Michael Odom, 24, were lost Rowdy Pennisi at sea on June 21, 2004. The Relentless was heading in to unload bottomfish in San Francisco. They were last tracked by the vessel-monitoring system at the 2 a.m. hour in the San Francisco shipping lanes. The Relentless’ EPIRB did not go off until 4:40 a.m. The Coast Guard started its search at first light. The Coast Guard’s search and rescue did an amazing job. Everyone we dealt with the morning of the accident was very kind and patient with us. They updated us with news as soon as they had it and coordinated with our own family’s boat search. The Coast Guard investigation was not so pleasant. We had an investigator who was harsh and rude, and he even slandered my family in the Coast Guard report. My family has three generations of experience fishing off the

WE WORK WHERE YOU WORK. Enhance your ability to communicate through the most cost effective, effective well supported satellite service in North America. Whether at land or at sea the AlaskaNet Satellite service will keep you connected. Contact us today.

T: 206.321.6896 1.800.GLENTEL www.satellitealaska.com

10 PACIFICFISHING

MAY 2010

WWW.PACIFICFISHING.COM

West Coast. (My father, Giuseppe Pennisi Sr., and grandfather Giovanni Pennisi both fished the San Giovanni, as does my husband.) Any suggestion we made was an annoyance to the investigator. We firmly believe, as do many other people, that a ship hit the Relentless. Our th investigator did not agree. in Elizabeth Nozicka His report was released to us a few days before Thanksgiving a year and a half later. When we read it, it was b like li my brother died twice. Our government said there was no funding in to find the boat and get pictures, as is done quite often in other cases in other parts of the U.S. c We were basically told it was just too bad if we did not agree with the th report. We were supposed to swallow their pill and move on with w our lives. But that’s not so easy to do. We know there were ships in the area. The Relentless sent out no mayday call, so whatever happened, happened fast. Rowdy was a cautious skipper. Over a half-dozen people interviewed echoed this point in the Coast Guard report. We know things do go wrong out there, but we feel there is strong evidence a ship hit them. According to the first Coast Guard chart readings, there was a ship next to the Relentless that was moving erratically. My brother John charted the positions they gave him. Then, the investigator told us those were not the right positions. When they met with my family, my mother noticed they came with different maps to each meeting, each with different positions charted on them. Something just did not seem to be accurate on their side. Rowdy’s loss has been hard for my family. The unanswered questions — questions that seem answerable if a little more effort were put into the case — are hard to live with. We are still fighting almost six years later to have the case re-opened. We want the Relentless found and pictures taken of the wreck. We know the condition of the boat will speak for itself. We feel the VMS needs to be redone so that it sends a signal to the Coast Guard instantly when a vessel disappears. This could save lives. After the accident, my sister-in-law moved away. She has a hard time being around the ocean, so she does not come to visit much. My nephew Joey was 7 years old when his father died. He comes down when he can to visit. We are always overjoyed to see him. Rowdy’s oldest son is in Iraq serving in the Marines. He just became a father this last September. His son was born a few days before Rowdy’s birthday. I could not help but think of how proud Rowdy would have been to have his first grandchild born so close to his own birthday. Rowdy loved kids. He has 24+ nieces and nephews. Some were too young to remember him. We tell them stories and, as they grow, they will remember Rowdy that way. I was pregnant with my second child when the accident happened. I gave my son the middle name David after my brother. My son is at the age when he is full of questions. When we talk about his name, he tells me who he was named after. That always leads into a conversation about Uncle Rowdy. Rowdy’s death impacted every generation. As my kids grow older, they get worried for my husband, who is also a fisherman. So we always pray together for my husband, family, and friends who fish still. And at the end, we ask Jesus to tell Uncle Rowdy hello for us. For more information about the loss of the Relentless, go to www. relentless4rowdy.com/how_to_help_3.html. You can reach Elizabeth Nozicka at info@relentless4rowdy.com.

YOUR BUSINESS

Marketing

P. cod marketers form commission for exports The recent tumble in Pacific cod prices has led nine fishing companies to form an organization that allows them greater flexibility in planning and marketing their catch. Much of that flexibility arises from a waiver of some federal anti-trust regulations. But the waiver is for exports only. Federal anti-trust measures still hold for the domestic market. Grounds prices today for P. cod are only half of what they were two years ago. The price decline was “the triggering event” that led marketers to establish the commission, said Lance Magnuson of Blue North Fisheries, president of the commission. To stay afloat, the cod companies had to find ways to cut overhead while increasing sales — and prices — abroad. Much of the frozen Alaska cod pack goes to Europe, where often it is prepared and sold as salt cod. Eastern European countries have been economically crippled by the global economic slowdown and weak currencies, which make it difficult to pay off international debt.

Western European nations on the Mediterranean, where salt cod is also popular, have their own economic problems. They have asked their European Union neighbors to help bail them out with euros — a notion that has been greeted coolly by Germany and France. Federal law has allowed American companies to form bodies like the Longline Cod Commission since 1982. One argument for such commissions is this: It allows U.S. companies to compete internationally with companies from foreign countries that have weak anti-trust regulations or that have been given waivers for global trade. U.S. surimi producers have established their own commission under federal law. Companies in the Alaska cod commission represent about 70 percent of the Bering Sea–Aleutian Island freezer longline quota — between 70 million and 100 million pounds. Commission members take about 35 percent of the total cod quota for all gear types. Some 90 percent of production by the commission-member companies is sold outside the U.S. Pricing will be one matter discussed by members of the cod commission, but not necessarily the most important one. The commission formation provides a means to meet and discuss not only exports, Magnuson said, but also to look at how the group can benefit in handling logistics in Dutch Harbor. “We are also discussing standardization of size, grading and quality standards.” The commission also will be able to address free trade issues in other nations.

A1077

Outstanding service on the best products is available for the Bristol Bay fleet, June 1-15 in Naknek. Contact Norther n Lights’ authorized factory dealer Hatton Marine for your parts and service needs. Hatton Marine can provide parts and perform service on a number of major engine and generator brands, including N o r t h e r n L i g h t s , L u g g e r, J o h n D e e re , Caterpillar, Cummins, Scania, Mitsubishi, Yanmar, Detroit Diesel and more.

M20CRW3 20 kW L6125H 440-470 Hp

To schedule service or place a parts order, please call early Now to May 31, call Seattle: (206) 283-5501.

June 1-15 call Naknek, AK: (907) 246-6557.

June 1-15 call service cell: (907) 439-5002.

WWW.PACIFICFISHING.COM

MAY 2010

PACIFICFISHING 11

YOUR BUSINESS

Health insurance

by Charles E. Morgan

Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s how the new national health care law will affect you There are a great many questions arising ffrom th ti â&#x20AC;&#x2122; new h lth care/insurance /i the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s health law. Undoubtedly, it will take many months for the government, private insurers, and the courts to come up with answers. In the meantime, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve asked Charles E. Morgan of Jackson, Morgan & Hunt, a certified public accounting firm in Seattle, to consider some questions directly affecting commercial fishermen. His answers are based on the legislation as passed. Future regulations could change how the law is implemented. How will crew and vessel owners in the fishing industry be affected? In determining how health care reform will impact you, it is essential to know if you are an employee or a self-employed business owner. The fishing industry has a unique statutory exception that makes most crew members self-employed. IRC section 3121(b)(20) says that if you are paid on a percentage of the vesselâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s catch, and the normal crew size is less than

6SHHG 3RZHUEORFNV $OO 0$5&2 3RZHUEORFNV DUH QRZ DYDLODEOH ZLWK VSHHG PRWRU RSWLRQ 6SHHG PRWRU UHWURĂ&#x20AC;W NLWV DUH DYDLODEOH IRU LQVWDOODWLRQ RQ H[LVWLQJ RU 0$5&2 3RZHUEORFNV ZLWK RU ZLWKRXW D VZLYHO

+DXO ZLWK KLJK WRUTXH RU GU\ XS \RXU QHW TXLFNO\ DW KLJK VSHHG

/RQJOLQH 6\VWHPV

6\VWHPV DUH DYDLODEOH LQ VL]HV WR Ă&#x20AC;W DOPRVW DQ\ VL]H YHVVHO 8VH RU IXOO RIIVHW &LUFOHKRRNV )L[HG RU 6ZLYHO *HDU &KRLFH RI *HDU 0DJD]LQH VL]HV WR EHVW VXLW \RXU GHFN OD\RXW DQG V\VWHP UHTXLUHPHQWV

6WRFNLQJ GLVWULEXWRU IRU

1' $9( :(67 6($77/( :$ 3+21( )$; (0$,/ 6$/(6#0$5&2*/2%$/ &20 ::: 0$5&2*/2%$/ &20

12 Â&#x2026; PACIFICFISHING Â&#x2026;

MAY 2010

Â&#x2026;

10 people, the crew member is self-employed. For health care reform, this places most crew members at the same level as the vessel owner-operator. (For this article, we will use the term â&#x20AC;&#x153;selfemployedâ&#x20AC;? for crew members in small vessels and for owner-operators. We will use â&#x20AC;&#x153;W-2 employeeâ&#x20AC;? for crew members who receive W-2 wages with taxes withheld while working on larger vessels.)

the tax year.

I am a self-employed skipper and vessel owner. Do I have to pay all or a portion of health insurance premiums When will most provisions of the new for my deckhands? If your crew members are treated as law go into effect for self-employed and self-employed and receive a 1099 for fishW-2 employees? The provisions designed to increase ing crew shares, you will not have to access and affordability go into effect provide coverage. immediately. The majority of the provisions What if my crew works for only a few imposing mandatory coverage, including months out of each year? individual polices, will be effective Jan. 1, Seasonal employment does not create an 2014. The penalties for remaining uninsured exception to the insurance requirements. also start in 2014. Part of the change is to provide direct How much will I have to pay the government if I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want insurance? Starting in 2014, most individuals would have to maintain minimum essential coverage or pay a penalty. The penalty is phased in from 2014 to 2016. In 2016 the full penalty will be the greater of: (1) 2.5 percent of household income over the threshold amount of income required for income tax return filing, or (2) $695 per uninsured adult in the household. The fee for an uninsured individual under age 18 would be one-half of the fee for an adult. The total household penalty wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t exceed 300 percent of the per-adult penalty ($2,085), nor exceed the national average annual premium for the â&#x20AC;&#x153;bronze levelâ&#x20AC;? health plan offered through the Insurance Exchange that year for the household size. Will all businesses be required to provide health insurance packages for employees? Only large employers with more than 50 full-time employees will be required to provide coverage or pay penalties. To encourage small employers with fewer than 50 full-time equivalent employees to provide access to coverage, there is a tax credit to offset the insurance cost. The credit ranges from 35 percent to 50 percent of insurance costs, depending on employee wages and

WWW.PACIFICFISHING.COM

access to insurance coverage in such situations, instead of making it dependent on employment.

If crew members have other employers, who is responsible for arranging for insurance? Coverage will depend on whether you work for a large employer with more than 50 full-time employees. For most crew members, they will obtain their own insurance as self-employed individuals. I work for shares, but much of that revenue is invested directly into IFQ shares. Which revenue stream will be measured to establish eligibility for the government-aided insurance program â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the gross or net? Your net income after expenses will be the base for eligibility. From your IFQ share, you will be able to deduct interest on loans, amortization of the purchase price, NMFS fish taxes, and any other business expenses. What if I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t afford private insurance? How can I buy insurance through the government? There will be insurance pools, but the details are not yet resolved. I have a preexisting condition (diabetes, for example). Private insurance companies wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t sell

health insurance to me. When will they be forced to overlook my preexisting condition? The bill includes this requirement: “(a) IN GENERAL.—A group health plan and a health insurance issuer offering group or individual health insurance coverage may not impose any preexisting condition exclusion with respect to such plan or coverage.” Initially, starting this year, people with pre-existing health conditions will be able to enroll in a new, but temporary, national high-risk insurance plan. I am employed by a seafood company to operate a fishing vessel. I am paid a salary and share. It is my only source of income. Will the new law provide cheaper health insurance to me? The impact on premiums is undetermined.

More information Charles Morgan has compiled six documents offering more information concerning recent health care legislation. You can find them at www.paciﬁcﬁshing.com. Click the “Resources” button at the bottom of the page. Then, look for a folder called “Health Care Changes.” Many of the particulars in the federal program are still being worked out. You can follow the process at www.healthreform.gov/. There are several pertinent pages there, but you might start with "Your questions answered." Will I have to prove previous insurance before I can sign up for the new policy? Probably not, because insurance companies cannot deny coverage for preexisting conditions under the new law.

The new health care law: A timetable Here is a summary of how the new federal health care statutes will be implemented, as compiled by the Christian Science Monitor:

Within one year • Insurance companies will be prohibited from placing lifetime caps — limits on the amount of money that can eventually be paid out — on their policies. They’ll face new restrictions on setting annual caps, as well. • Insurance companies also will be prohibited from pulling your coverage, except in case of fraud or intentional misrepresentation. • Children won’t be excluded from coverage due to pre-existing health conditions. Plus, children will be able to stay on their parents’ policy until age 26. • Small businesses that offer health coverage to employees will be eligible for tax credits of up to 50 percent of premium costs. • Seniors who fall into the coverage gap, or “doughnut hole,” in the middle of the Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage plan will get $250 to help them pay their bills. • People with pre-existing health conditions will be able to enroll in a new, but temporary, national high-risk insurance plan.

2014 • The central element of the superstructure of President Obama’s health care reform effort is its individual mandate. Most people who live in the United States will be required to obtain health insurance. But this does not kick in until 2014, when fines begin for those who don’t have coverage. • Similarly, the subsidies intended to make policy purchase affordable don’t start until then. • Exchanges where individuals and small business can buy health insurance are not supposed to be up and running for four years, either. • Finally, one of the most popular provisions in the health bill, its ban on the denial of insurance coverage due to pre-existing health conditions, won’t take effect until 2014 either. That’s because insurers will need the flood of new customers brought in by the individual mandate to cushion the costs of accepting people who already have health problems.

INLET FISH PRODUCERS Committed to Quality

Can I insure my spouse and children along with me for the new policy? It appears family coverage is mandated. There will be rules to coordinate coverage when there are two working family members. I am a partner in the vessel I operate. How will the law affect me? You will be treated as self-employed. I am a deckhand. Does the owner of the vessel have to arrange for health insurance for me? If you are treated as self-employed, you are responsible. If you are a W-2 employee for a large employer, coverage may be provided through them. I am an owner/operator. Whom do I speak with to arrange for insurance for my crew? Your health insurance broker will be your starting point.

Buyers of Alaskan Salmon in Cook Inlet and Prince William Sound since 1987. Proud supporters of independent Alaska fishermen and their families. We would like to thank all of our fishermen for their support and look forward to seeing you on the fishing grounds for the 2010 season. Accepting new fishermen in Cook Inlet and Prince William Sound. Attractive fleet insurance rates available. Contact Jason@inletfish.com or call (907) 299-9008, (907) 283-9275.

Inlet Fish Producers, Inc. PO Box 114, Kenai, AK 99611 WWW.PACIFICFISHING.COM

MAY 2010

PACIFICFISHING 13

YOUR BUSINESS

Sea lice

by Kristin Hoelting

Drug-resistant sea lice threaten wild salmon runs

Protesters demonstrate during the Winter Olympics in Vancouver against Norwegian interests that control much of the salmon farming in British Columbia. Michel Drouin photo

Where Alaska’s Fishermen Go For Financing

• IFQ Loans • Vessel Financing • Loans and Lines of Credit

Call

Today!

Providing Financial Solutions to Alaskans since 1924 • www.FirstBankAK.com

14 PACIFICFISHING

MAY 2010

WWW.PACIFICFISHING.COM

One of the salmon farm industry’s greatest fears is that sea lice will develop resistance to the drugs used to kill them. But it’s happening now, and the floating net-pen technology looks increasingly unstable — environmentally and economically. As Alexandra Morton, a sea lice researcher and wild salmon activist in British Columbia, said, “When sea lice become resistant to the drugs, we lose all ability to control them.” In recent months, Morton and other activists have focused on the increasing sea lice resistance to the insecticide SLICE (emamectin benzoate), the most popular and widely used delousing treatment in Canada and Chile in recent years, and also an important delousing agent in Norway. Resistance develops through the process of natural selection: There always are random genetic mutations, and some mutations allow some sea lice to withstand effects of chemical treatments. If a particular chemical is used too often in one area, these genetic mutations can spread throughout a population of sea lice. Clearly, inability to control levels of sea lice on salmon farms would have catastrophic implications for declining wild salmon runs. Research has shown that, even when sea lice levels are maintained within legal limits, their presence in coastal waters can be linked to declines of wild salmon in both British Columbia and Norway. Uncontrolled infestations of sea lice also have severe impacts on the salmon farming industry. Sea lice attach to the skin of fish and feed on mucous, tissue, and blood. Infestations can reduce the appetite and overall growth of the fish in aquaculture net pens. They also cause skin lesions and weaken the immune systems of the fish, making them more susceptible to diseases such as the Infectious Salmon Anemia (ISA) virus. Some research has suggested that sea lice may also serve as carriers, transferring viral and bacterial diseases between net pens. In Chile, widespread resistance to SLICE in 2007 exacerbated the spread of ISA, resulting in a crash of the country’s salmon farming industry. The uncoordinated, excessive application of delousing agents was blamed for the development of sea lice resistance: In the Castro region of Chile, a study recorded an average of 11 treatments of SLICE per net pen facility between March 2006 and February 2007. In contrast, salmon farmers in Norway and British Columbia treat only a few times per year, and preferably with alternating chemical agents. Resistance is not a new story: In the mid-1990s, resistance to organophosphates Aquaguard and Nuvan in Norway, Scotland, and Canada forced salmon farmers to remove those drugs from use, and the same happened in Chile in 2001. There have been reports of reduced effectiveness of pyrethroid drugs (Betamax, AlphaMax, and Exis) since 2000 in Norway, Scotland, and Ireland. The current popularity and widespread use of SLICE, however, make its declining effectiveness particularly concerning. Its popularity is due to its superior biological effect, ease, and safety of application (given orally by adding it to feed, as opposed to bath treatment). In Norway, despite careful integrated pest management practices designed to minimize the use of chemical treatments, the salmon farming industry is currently facing increasing occurrences of sea lice tolerance and resistance to SLICE. Resistance is concentrated in the North Troendelag and Sunnhordland regions, along with reduced sensitivity in scattered facilities in other regions. The Norwegian government is on high alert. When asked about the ramifications of sea lice resistance to SLICE in Norway, Atle Kambestad of the Norwegian Directorate for Nature Management said it “appears to be relatively serious, because it involves the best delousing agents. The treatments that must be used instead are not as effective.” Because of resistance to SLICE, Norwegians have brought back

hydrogen peroxide, which hadn’t been used in Norway since 1997. It was discontinued largely because of the danger of overdose to fish. Hydrogen peroxide draws water from the fish, leading to osmotic shock and relatively high mortality. Because of sea lice resistance to SLICE in New Brunswick, the Canadian government approved the use of three different chemicals under “emergency medical release.” They are Calicide (teflubenzuron), as well as the pyrethroids AlphaMax (deltamethrin) and BetaMax (cypermethrin). Like SLICE, Calicide is an in-feed treatment, but it is only effective at killing sea lice during their molting stages and has no effect on adult lice. AlphaMax and Betamax are bath treatments, which can be lethal to fish in the case of overdose. The resistance scare has spread to British Columbia, although government officials deny any evidence of a problem. Last month, Morton called attention to evidence of SLICE resistance at several Grieg Seafood facilities near Nootka Island. The provincial Ministry of Agriculture and Lands published a graph showing that an October 2009 treatment did not bring sea lice levels down to zero and did not have a prolonged effect. According to Morton, this indicates tolerance in the sea lice population and, if true, would have serious repercussions for wild salmon in British Columbia. Many people are looking for a vaccine as a possible solution. However, Kevin Glover of the Institute for Marine Research in Norway says that, although work to develop a vaccine has been underway for approximately 10 years, it is highly unlikely that a commercial product will be available for at least another five to 10 years. Given the severity of the situation in Norway, Glover said, “Enclosed cage systems — with filters in and out — are looking more and more like the way forward.” With such systems, sea lice would not have access to the farmed fish in the first place.

What exactly is a sea louse? These small crustaceans are ectoparasites, meaning they attach to the outside of fish, including skin, fins, or gills. In their early life stages they are free-swimming, but when they reach the infectious “copepodid” stage they settle on a host fish. Adult female sea lice develop long strings of eggs. Each female can produce approximately 100-300 eggs at a time and can have up to about six broods in her lifetime. The lifespan of sea lice on a host in salt water is between 75 and 200 days, depending on temperature. There are hundreds of species of sea lice. Concern about sea lice and the salmon farming industry is focused on five principal species: The salmon louse, Lepeophtheirus salmonis, is a salmon specialist that is found throughout the Northern Hemisphere, including in Norway and British Columbia. Most research has focused on this species. In Norway, the other species of concern is Caligus elongatus, a generalist that thrives on both farmed and wild salmon, rainbow trout, and the native brown trout. In British Columbia, Caligus clemensi and Lepeophtheirus cuneifer are also found on farmed and wild salmon. In Chile, the main sea louse species under scrutiny is Caligus rogercresseyi. The salmon farming industry spent $480 million on sea lice control in 2006. This does not include the costs associated with increased susceptibility to disease, negative publicity for the farmed salmon industry as a result of sea lice outbreaks, or the impact on wild fish.

WWW.PACIFICFISHING.COM

MAY 2010

PACIFICFISHING 15

YOUR BUSINESS

Eco-tags

by Jennifer Hawks

Does MSC tag sell more fish? No one knows Environmental E i t l certification tifi ti off fi fish h b boils il down to a single question: Will it make you more money? A definitive answer seems hard to come by. And left in its wake are more questions: Who should pay? Which certification program to use? The list of organizations that offer certification for qualified fisheries is growing all the time. But not all certification groups follow the same standards and requirements against which fisheries are measured. Perhaps the most recognized certification and eco-labeling program for sustainable seafood is the Marine Stewardship Council. Based in London, it has offices throughout the world, including Seattle. Kerry Coughlin is the regional director of the Americas for the MSC. She admits that the certification process is not easy. “It is a very complex issue.” Third-party certifiers: Before an MSC eco-label can be attached to seafood packaging, it has to undergo a long process. Fisheries up for MSC certification have to be assessed by an independent certifier. Those third-party certifiers, depending on who they are and how far they have to travel to the fishery, might charge anywhere from $15,000 to $120,000 — and perhaps more for complex assessments. Can anybody be a certifier? Only if they pass muster by Accreditation Services International GmbH (ASI), an independent organization that accredits certifiers to conduct MSC assessments. ASI’s role is to make sure there aren’t any conflicts of interest with a potential certifier and that they follow MSC’s certification rules at all times. Though a limited number of grants are available, costs prevent many independent fishers and small fisheries from pursuing certification on their own. Most reach certification through associations and organizations representing members of a

16 PACIFICFISHING

MAY 2010

fishery or group of fisheries. The third-party certifiers ask three questions of the fishery: • Does the fishing level allow for a sustainable fish population? Population fluctuations are taken into account and don’t preclude certification if appropriate reductions in catch levels, including closures, are implemented in response as part of responsible management. • Is the environmental impact of the fishery minimal? • Is fishery management effective? The fishery must follow all laws and respond to changing circumstances, such as seasonal returns that can fluctuate year to year. An MSC certification is good for five years, but the fishery has to undergo annual surveillance audits to make sure it’s still meeting the criteria. Tracking supply chain: Companies have to keep tabs of their certified products once in the supply chain. In most cases this is easily done as part of existing inventory tracking systems. The product must be traceable back to its source while meeting MSC requirements, which include ensuring the seafood is not co-mingled or substituted. Only then can the MSC eco-label be used for that product. Coughlin believes the cost and effort of certifying a fishery as sustainable is worthwhile. “One of the most heartening aspects of our work on sustainable fishing is the commitment articulated by people in the industry — from the small, independent fishers to large seafood companies. Fishing families talk about leaving a legacy; they want to make a living now but in a way that ensures there will be enough fish for their children and grandchildren to harvest.” Not all eco-labeling programs follow

WWW.PACIFICFISHING.COM

continued on next page

NW albacore fleets now have MSC certification The Pacific Northwest–British Columbia albacore fishery is the latest to achieve Marine Stewardship Council certification. “MSC is so recognized now, I think it will improve market potential, especially in Europe,” said Wayne Heikkila. But the process hasn’t been cheap. The U.S. Western Fishboat Owners Association and Canada’s Canadian Highly Migratory Species Foundation each spent about $80,000 for the effort. The process began in January 2009, when the two bodies representing albacore fishermen in the North Pacific agreed to the cost-sharing plan. “And there have been quite a few extra hours for me and our legal counsel, and the consultant,” Heikkila said. Albacore fishermen hope that certification will help open doors into some highend retail establishments, a target for the U.S. fishermen. Preliminary 2009 reports show the British Columbia fleet harvest at about 5,450 metric tons and U.S. troll and pole landings at 11,580 metric tons. Approximately 60 percent of the tuna from these fisheries goes to Asia and Europe with 10 percent to U.S. canning companies. The remaining 30 percent is sold into U.S. and Canadian markets for domestic consumption. Albacore tuna is marketed as fresh, fresh-frozen, and canned product, with canned product accounting for the majority of the catch. “Following the development of the CHMSF Quality Assurance Program in 2003, our industry’s considerable efforts toward sustainable fishing have been recognized by such environmental organizations as Ocean Wise, Sea Choice, and Seafood Watch,” said Lorne Clayton, executive director of the Canadian group, “and we are now proud to have achieved the independent verification, through the MSC, that our CHMSF Pacific albacore fishery meets the MSC’s rigorous sustainability definition.” Kerry Coughlin, the Americas regional director for MSC, said, “Market demand for MSC-certified tuna is high. Successful completion of the assessment process by these two fisheries will be welcome news to buyers committed to sourcing from fisheries that meet the MSC standard.”

YOUR BUSINESS

Sustainability

by Wesley Loy

MSC’s future in Alaska appears to be sustainable again In 2000, Alaska salmon became the first U.S. fishery to win certification from the Marine Stewardship Council as “sustainable.” A decade later, the salmon fishery is still certified, that word "sustainable" is marketing gold, and several other Alaska fisheries also have achieved the MSC eco-label. That doesn’t mean, however, that the MSC has enjoyed all smooth sailing. The London-based organization recently went through a period of doubt and rejection in Alaska, and a potential lapse in the salmon certification loomed. But now it appears the MSC has rallied to secure its future in the nation’s top seafood-producing state. In February, a small nonprofit based in Anchorage, the Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation, stepped in to replace the state Department of Fish and Game as the MSC’s “client” on the salmon fishery. The foundation now will manage the considerable tedium and cost of maintaining MSC certification for the salmon fishery, a chore the original client, Fish and Game, was no longer willing to bear. For a time, the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute flirted with the idea of partnering with the MSC. But that union never was consummated due to cost-sharing issues. Now an independent nonprofit, the MSC started in 1996 as an initiative of the World Wildlife Fund and Dutch food giant Unilever. Some, including a past president of United Fishermen of Alaska, have questioned whether Alaska really needs outside validation that its salmon and other fisheries are sustainably managed. Indeed, a “confidential” MSC letter that came to light in 2007 showed that the organization perhaps needed Alaska more

MSC TAG — continued from page 16 the same set of standards, adding to the confusion. As with any enterprise that has the potential to generate money, some certification organizations may not have altruistic intentions. Opportunities for scammers are increasing. While the non-profit MSC doesn’t get a percentage of the money collected by third-party certifiers, it does receive some revenue from licensing agreements for use of its eco-label. MSC’s primary source

than Alaska needed a third-party certifier. In the letter, MSC Chief Executive Rupert Howes acknowledged “frustration and disillusionment” within the Alaska seafood community regarding the cost and time involved in fishery certification, and the potential at that time that only part of the salmon fishery might be recertified. Howes candidly wrote that a pullout by the salmon and pollock industries “would most likely precipitate the end of the MSC programme.” Today, the MSC appears to have moved past its rough patch in Alaska. The salmon fishery was recertified as a whole in November 2007, and the MSC has a new partner to maintain the certification. “We are proud that industry requested AFDF take over as client for this large and complex fishery,” said Jim Browning, the foundation’s executive director and a former state salmon management biologist. The MSC sustainability label clearly has established traction in the markets. As an example, when retail giant Target in January announced it was eliminating farm-raised salmon from its stores in favor of wildcaught Alaska salmon, it cited the state’s MSC-certified sustainable salmon management as part of its rationale. Since 2000, several other Alaska fisheries have undergone the MSC’s rigorous scientific review process to win certification: Bering Sea pollock, Gulf of Alaska pollock, the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands cod fishery, Gulf of Alaska cod, the U.S. North Pacific halibut fishery, and the Alaska sablefish fishery. MSC clients for these fisheries include the At-Sea Processors Association, Bering Select Seafoods Co., AFDF, and the Fishing Vessel Owners’ Association.

of income is from philanthropic donations, including those from the Walton Family Foundation, which was established by the founders of Wal-Mart. But even the MSC hasn’t been without controversy. In addition to accusations of bending to corporate pressure from WalMart, questions have been raised concerning a proposal to certify the troubled British Columbia sockeye fishery. The Fraser: Supporters of the continued on next page WWW.PACIFICFISHING.COM MAY 2010 PPACIFIC FISHING WWW.PACIFICFISHING.COM MAY 2010 ACIFIC FISHING 17

YOUR BUSINESS

Eco-tags continued from page 17

fishery say its management is responsive to changes in abundance. A good example came in 2009, when only about a tenth of the predicted sockeye returned to the Fraser River. All fishing was prohibited. Yet, critics of the fishery also point to 2009 and ask, “How can a fishery be declared sustainable when entire runs are decimated?” Though that fishery’s certification is still pending, the Canadian David Suzuki Foundation opposes it and has expressed doubts that the MSC can maintain its credibility if certification is approved. Consumer scorecards: The drive to declare fisheries as sustainable has been boosted by organizations pointing consumers to sustainable and healthy sources of seafood. To that end, several organizations provide lists of seafood they approve of, consider borderline, and should be avoided. The Monterey Bay Aquarium publishes the free Seafood Watch pocket guide, which can be downloaded from its Web site. Mobile phone updates are also available, making it particularly handy for last-minute trips to the store. Whether or not all of this will make a difference to the fleet remains to be seen, though the consensus is that the future looks promising. Laura Fleming is the communications director for Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute. She says, “We don’t have any data that would support that it [certification] adds value. However, if you heard the conversations, even among some of the largest players in the Alaska seafood industry, you’d hear a variety of opinions on that.” No trickle-down: David Bedford is the deputy commissioner for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Alaska’s salmon

Your Partner in Fishing HD850 Searchlight Sonar No sonar in the world can find dispersed fish like the powerful HD850!

Split Screen Forward Scan, Bottom Profile Fish to Starboard

TCS780 Trawl Sonar Monitor catch volume, catch quality, and save fuel!

Standardize with WESMAR

TCS780 Split Screen of Net

Stainless Steel Dual Prop thrusters, stabilizers, APUs, Hydraulics

Bow & Stern Thruster

Stabilizers

APU

Hydraulics

Western Marine Electronics (425) 481-2296 www.wesmar.com 18 PACIFICFISHING

MAY 2010

WWW.PACIFICFISHING.COM

fishery was first certified by the MSC in 2000, 2000 with the ADF&G acting as the client until early 2010, when the Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation took over. Even Bedford can’t say for sure if sustainability certification helps the fleet or not. “We’ve tried to stay agnostic on that,” he admits. “Then, for a period of time, we were trying to figure that out. We have no idea if this will get them another five cents a pound, or make any difference at all.” As a non-profit, the Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation works on behalf of the Alaska fishing industry to increase catch value and conserve fisheries. The foundation has a lot of experience dealing with federal and state fisheries management agencies, as well as biologists. It’s also the client for the MSC-certified Alaska Pacific cod fishery. James Browning, executive director of the foundation, says Alaska fishermen should consider two things when it comes to how certification of sustainable fisheries affects them. “A) They don’t have any skin in the game, meaning at the harvester level, they haven’t paid any of the certification costs. And B), they’re not getting any tangible benefits at the permit holder level yet. Market share: “It possibly increases the market share for companies flying the [MSC] logo, and that’s a growing thing. The question is whether it’s leading to paying a cent or two more per pound. I’d have to hope the answer is yes.” Browning believes that when and if consumer demand increases enough to make processing company accountants pay attention, that’s when certification will drive seafood prices up. And that’s when the fleet will benefit. But for now, “I hear the dock talk, and I must say they’re not getting any value yet.” As the new MSC client for the Alaska salmon industry, the foundation will establish a volume-based, proportionate cost-sharing mechanism for use of the MSC certificate by industry members. The more processed salmon a company sells, the more it’ll pay.

Penciling it out So, just how much does it cost for MSC certification per pound of fish? We asked James Browning, executive director of the Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation, to do the figuring. For salmon, certification adds about .0012 cents per pound — or a penny for 12,000 pounds of product. But the math varies, depending on the size of the yearly catch, if you figure in annual auditing costs, etc. It can get complicated.

, :RUN =RQH *HDUÂ&#x152; 9HVW The Comfort Seriesâ&#x201E;˘ utility vest is specially designed with soft, lightweight mesh on the upper half of the vest for comfort and ventilation.

, &KDOOHQJHUÂ&#x152; $QWL ([SRVXUH :RUN 6XLW ÂŽ

â&#x201E;˘

The Stearns Challenger Anti-Exposure Work Suit offers 100% sealed seam integrity for dependable hypothermia protection and comfort. This sealed inner liner provides a waterproof warmth even in the most demanding conditions. The suit is also made with a manually inflated head support.

, &ROG :DWHU ,PPHUVLRQ 6XLW 7\SH 6 86&* & OG : W , L 6 LW 7 0(' 62/$6 $SSURYHG When lives are at stake, more maritime professionals worldwide rely on the StearnsÂŽ I590 Cold Water Immersion Suit than any other immersion suit brand. Made with 5mm stretchable flame retardant neoprene, the StearnsÂŽ I590 provides quality anti-hypothermia protection.

www.stearnsflotation.com

YOUR BUSINESS

Shrimp

2009 Northwest shrimp season was grim trip limits, vessel rotations, or landing schedules to slow the amount of shrimp actually landed. Shrimping didn’t begin in earnest until the second week of May, as shrimpers and processors slowly negotiated prices. Only about 200,000 pounds of shrimp were landed into Oregon during April, which barely supplied the fresh shrimp market. Monthly landings jumped up sharply from May through October with above average landings for each month. … Shrimping effort in terms of hours fished was only about 18,000 SRE (single-rig

equivalent) hours in 2009. It was the lowest level of “gear-on-the-bottom” time recorded since 1971. Here again, the total would have been larger under more normal market conditions. Many shrimpers maximized their fishing efficiency by traveling long distances to take advantage of extremely high catch rates in several southern areas. Other measures of fishing effort were down from the level in 2008 but were within the range we’ve seen since the vessel buyback in 2003. Forty-nine Oregon shrimp vessels made 585 trips during 2009.

60000 15 Year Avg.

50000

SHRIMP ANNUAL LANDINGS Oregon pink shrimp commercial landings (millions of pounds) 1957-2009. Includes all pink shrimp landed into Oregon ports. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife chart

1000's of POUNDS

As the 2010 Northwest pink shrimp season opens, here is a look at the 2009 season that appeared in the Annual Pink Shrimp Review, written by Bob Hannah and Steve Jones of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. Low price, a limited market, phenomenal catch rates: that about sums up the 2009 Oregon pink shrimp season. It was a season in which far more shrimp could have been caught had the shrimp market and price structure been there to support it. Unlike the low-priced years of 2001-2003, when competition with shrimp from distant fisheries kept ex-vessel prices down, the low price this year probably resulted from a depressed world shrimp market. Just over 22 million pounds of shrimp were landed into Oregon during the 2009 season; above average but about 3.5 million pounds less than in 2008. The decline wasn’t the result of lower shrimp abundance, however; it appears to have been general market malaise. Processors appeared reluctant to pay more than a low price and to put large amounts of shrimp into freezer storage. Most processors used a combination of

40000 30000 20000 10000 0 1960

1965

1970

1975

1980

1985

1990

1995

2000

2005

2010

YEAR

0.80 0.70

Your Full Service Yamaha Outboard Dealership for Over 26 Years

$$ PER POUND

0.60

SHRIMP PRICE PER POUND Annual average ex-vessel price per pound paid for pink shrimp landed in Oregon 1968-2009. Prices not adjusted for inflation. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife chart

0.50 0.40 0.30 0.20 0.10

• 4 factory trained technicians

0.00 1970

• Huge parts in-stock inventory

MAY 2010

WWW.PACIFICFISHING.COM

POUNDS per SRE HOUR

SHRIMP CPUE This graph shows 2009 Oregon pink shrimp catch per unit of effort by area and month. Because of lower prices, fishermen often concentrated effort in areas known for high production. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife chart

1-800-478-3949 or 907-772-3949 Petersburg, AK 20 PACIFICFISHING

1990

1995

2000

2005

2010

4500 4000 3500 3000 2500 2000 1500 1000 500 Oct

0 Sep

en do c N. ino C & Ro ali S gu forn . P o e R ia i Ba rt O ve nd rfo r Ca o n rd pe B M ud e d Fo Ca ulw h ol ea e p e Ti lla Lo the m ok r oo Co ou k lu t H m ea b G ra ia R d ive De ys H r st ar ru bo ct r io n Is .

www.rockysmarine.com

1985

Aug Jul Jun

F150

1980

YEAR

• Motors in stock and ready to ship • Commercial and government discounts available

1975

AR EA

May Apr

H NT MO

YOUR BUSINESS

Smelt

by Cassandra Marie Profita

Listing of smelt to mean more observers on shrimp boats

to the Canadian shrimp fishery off the In Oregon, only 6 or 7 percent of the boats West Coast of Vancouver Island. To limit have had observers on board in recent years. coastwide bycatch, Hannah said, NMFS ‘They've long known they've had some smelt bymight set a quota for catch issues. Fortunately, they've been putting ateuchelon and stop fishing once it’s met. tention into designing bycatch reduction devices, “I don’t know if so they already have a big jump on the problem.’ we’ll get to that point,” he said. “It will take a Pink shrimpers on the West Coast don’t year or more to determine what needs to Washington boats haven’t had observers see a whole lot of smelt bycatch these days. be done.” at all. Mostly because there’s so few smelt In 2010, shrimp vessels in Oregon, In the meantime, NMFS is stepping up around. its observer coverage on West Coast shrimp Shrimper Brian Petersen, who runs the boats this year to document smelt bycatch. continued on next page F/V Capt. Raleigh of Astoria, remembers fishing a couple of decades ago, when smelt were more abundant. Back then, the small, silvery fish made up around 30 percent of the shrimp catch. Now that euchelon smelt have been listed as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act, the clock is ticking for the shrimp trawl fleet and its managers to figure out how much impact the fishery has on the species — and how to minimize it. “It’s not good for us at all,” said Petersen. “We did catch an awful lot of smelt back in the early days. If the smelt ever come back, we’re going to have some real issues.” Federal fishery managers say they don’t expect the March listing of euchelon to impact any other commercial fisheries that catch smelt incidentally. “The only fishery that sticks out as having possible problematic bycatch is the pink shrimp fishery,” said Garth Griffin, branch chief for National Marine Fisheries Service in Oregon. “They undoubtedly show up in small numbers in other kinds of fisheries.” Time will tell how other fisheries might be affected. It will take six months to a year for NMFS to make rules on how much smelt bycatch they will allow and which fisheries will be allowed to catch it. Alaska’s fishing season is way too short for But Oregon pink shrimpers will definiteyou to be burdened with mechanical failure ly need a euchelon smelt “take” exemption due to lesser petroleum products. Downtime to continue fishing, according to fishery is money. That’s why fishermen around the manager Bob Hannah of the Oregon state call on Petro Marine Services for clean Department of Fish and Wildlife. burning diesel, high-quality lubes, industrial There is a fundamental overlap in strength filters, expert advice, and superior the ocean distribution of shrimp and service. Dependability you can count on. euchelon smelt, Hannah said. The good news is the shrimp fleet is already using Next time you’re heading out, call on the grates as bycatch reduction devices that can company that’s as geared up about your line be adapted to avoid most of the smelt. of work as you are. “It’s difficult to know at this point how much will need to be changed,” Hannah You’ve made a huge investment. 1-800-478-7586 said. “There’s some research to be done. I Let Petro Marine Services help www.petromarineservices.com could see some gear changes. … I think it’s protect it. unlikely it’ll be completely status quo two years from now.” PETRO MARINE SERVICES FINE FUELS SUPER SERVICE QUALITY LUBRICANTS The euchelon smelt range stretches up

i]Z Wdiidb a^cZ

WWW.PACIFICFISHING.COM

MAY 2010

PACIFICFISHING 21

YOUR BUSINESS

Smelt continued from page 21

Columbia River smelt were plentiful and supported freshwater commercial fishing a half-century ago, as shown in this photo taken on the Sandy River in 1946. Today, protection of smelt could affect the pink shrimp fishery.

Washington, and California will have to new logbook standards that note all increased observer coverage on selected discards and bycatch from the fishery. vessels for a one-month period. But in part because of forward thinkSince 2008, shrimpers have been held ing by industry and fishery managers,

22 PACIFICFISHING

MAY 2010

WWW.PACIFICFISHING.COM

use of the grate has minimized bycatch — including the protected canary, thornyhead, and yelloweye rockfish — and kept shrimpers in the clear. Observers documented 1,500 pounds of euchelon smelt in the 2008 haul of 19.8 million pounds of pink shrimp. Hannah reported in March that 99 percent of the shrimp fleet is now using the bycatch reduction grate, and that boats have been shifting toward narrower bar spacing for the last few years. Narrowing bar spacing to 3/4 of an inch could help minimize smelt bycatch. Several shrimpers who have used that type of grate reported good results, saying any loss of shrimp was offset by a cleaner haul free of hake. NMFS managers say they will be looking at alternative ways to minimize smelt bycatch, such as adjusting the timing and location of shrimping seasons. “That industry has been adjusting to the bycatch issue,” said Griffin. “They’ve long known they’ve had some smelt bycatch issues. Fortunately, they’ve been putting attention into designing bycatch reduction devices, so they already have a big jump on the problem.” Petersen said he has a lot of faith in Oregon’s shrimp fishery management, and in Hannah in particular. “He understands what could happen,” Petersen said. “The state’s been working behind closed doors on this, trying to head it off. They know this is a valuable fishery.”

YOUR BUSINESS

Resources

by John Diriscoll

Klamath River salmon disease on upswing during drought An annual plague in Klamath River salmon may be getting worse as a drought wears on. The Klamath River is important to the West Coast commercial salmon fishery because the health of its runs helps determine quotas and seasons along much of the coast. The past two years of drought appear to have allowed the host of the disease Ceratomyxa shasta to spread, and young fish are being infected earlier than in previous years. Some 90 percent of young Chinook and coho salmon in “hot zones” — mainly below lowermost Iron Gate dam — are killed by C. shasta, which targets the intestines of salmon. Texas A&M University fisheries biologist Masami Fujiwara said that the rate of infection in Klamath River salmon can’t be separated from the influence of other environmental factors in the river and the ocean. That doesn’t mean that the disease isn’t a problem, he said.

“It simply means that detecting it at a population level is not a simple matter,” Fujiwara said. Researchers believe the intermediate host, a tiny polychaete worm, is concentrated during drought years because high flows don’t scour the silt they inhabit. Spawning adult fish congregate below Iron Gate. Infected salmon release Ceratomyxa shasta spores when they die, saturating the polychaete worms just downstream. Oregon State University researcher Jerri Bartholomew said that infectious zones in the river became smaller in 2005, 2006, and 2007, when high flows flushed out silt. Those zones are growing again with the recent drought. Bartholomew said it appears that prolonged high flows are needed to keep the disease’s intermediate host in check. “There has to be something to disrupt them,” Bartholomew said. At a recent conference in Fortuna, Calif., Yurok Tribe biologist Joshua Strange

Iron Gate Dam on the Klamath River marks the beginning of a “hot zone” for a deadly disease infecting young salmon. Erin Downward photo suggested that short periods of high flows in February could help clear the infectious zone of the polychaete worm’s silty habitat. That may be needed until the Klamath’s four hydropower dams are removed, Strange said, when spawning salmon can spread out and plankton from reservoirs that feed the polychaete worms is less abundant. The removal of the dams is set for 2020 as part of two agreements signed by California, Oregon, tribes, fishermen, and farmers in February.

THE WORLD'S TRUSTED MANUFACTURER of FOOD GRADE INSULATED TOTES & BINS FOR THE FISHING INDUSTRY VERSA TOTES (Lids included) Heavy duty Capacity 1,500 pounds

INSULATED TOTES Capacities: 65.5 to 375 gallons 9 to 55 cubic feet Stackable IB 1800 . 9 cubic feet 42" x 24" x 28" DX 327 . 25 cubic feet 48" x 42.5" x 35"

SINGLE WALL BINS Nest, stack & rotate dump Capacities: 24 to 55 cubic feet 2-way/4-way fork-lift/pallet jack entry

PALLETS 48”X 40” X 6-1/2” MOORING BUOYS 1000 - 4000 lb Flotation

www.promens.com mhsales@promens.com

OTHER PRODUCTS AVAILABLE . CALL CUSTOMER SERVICE: 800-665-3966 or 506.633.0101 Ridgefield, Washington . Littleton, Colorado . West Chicago, Illinois . Saint John, New Brunswick . Middlebury, Indiana

WWW.PACIFICFISHING.COM

MAY 2010

PACIFICFISHING 23

YOUR BUSINESS

Klamath h sstocks tockss

Predicted dry summer to test coalition behind Klamath deal The ink is not yet dry on two agreements meant to patch wounds from the water wars among fishermen, farmers, and tribes in the Klamath River Basin, but the basin itself is parched. The drought has some concerned that relations built while forging the deals to tear out four dams and restore the flagging fisheries of the Klamath River could fracture. For the time being, the lower Klamath River tribes and ocean commercial salmon fishermen have vowed support for Upper Klamath Basin farmers who learned on March 18 that water deliveries will be slashed to protect fish. Protests like those seen around Klamath Falls, Ore., during a 2001 water clamp-down have so far not materialized. Supporters of the Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement and the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement believe that this year’s crisis points to the need for the pacts, for which authorizing legislation was still being drafted in mid-March. “I am prepared to hop on a plane to Washington, D.C., and put the full weight of the fishing industry behind a request for disaster assistance for the upper basin farmers,” wrote Glen Spain with the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations in an e-mail. The Klamath Basin has only 72 percent of the snowpack it does in a typical year, the least of the past four years, according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service. Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski declared a drought emergency in mid-March. The Klamath River ’s Chinook salmon stocks are a vital component of the West Coast commercial salmon fishery. While the Sacramento River system typically provides the lion’s share of fish caught off California and Oregon, the Klamath’s often weak stocks limit what fishermen are allowed to catch. In 2006, expectedly poor spawner returns to the Klamath prompted federal regulators to clamp down on fishing for 800 miles of coastline, north and south of the Klamath River. In 2008 and 2009, however, it was the Sacramento stocks that crashed, initiating disaster aid of $170 million to buoy the salmon industry. This year, limited or no 24 PACIFICFISHING

MAY 2010

by John Driscoll

Only a few months ago, demonstrators campaigned — successfully — against Warren Buffet–owned dams on the Klamath River. Now, the deal emerging from the demonstrations and negotiations faces its first major trial: drought.

commercial fishing is likely in California. This year, $2 million in aid is being made available through the U.S. Department of Agriculture for farmers of the 200,000-acre U.S. Bureau of Reclamation project on the California-Oregon border. Restoration of the Klamath fishery should lead to fewer closures and also opportunities for fishermen to take advantage of strong runs on the Sacramento, the deal’s supporters believe. But the dams would not come out until 2020 under the pacts, and irrigation diversion reductions would be handled through a water bank over the next 10 years. Until then, water for the Klamath River will be managed under a biological opinion released in mid-March by the National Marine Fisheries Service. The agency reviewed Reclamation’s plans to operate its project and found it would jeopardize the existence of federally protected coho salmon in the river. Also of concern are endangered suckers in Upper Klamath Lake. NMFS ordered the bureau to make changes to its plan based on how wet or dry any particular year is. This year is considered a dry year, and when water is sent to salmon and suckers, the project will be able to provide only enough to irrigate about 30 to 40 percent of the farmland in the project. Klamath Water Users Association Executive Director Greg Addington said that the deliveries depend on normal precipitation for the remainder of the spring. The current projection means that some farmers will not make it through the season, he said, which could erode support for the agreements among those who can’t weather the dry spell. Still, Addington said, he expects the

WWW.PACIFICFISHING.COM

agreements to move forward. “So my fear now is more about holding the project irrigators together and getting them through this year,” Addington said. A water bank that would tap up to 50,000 acre-feet of groundwater — at a cost to Reclamation of $5 million — could help irrigate more area in the project. Scientists believe that pumping groundwater would not have a serious effect on surface flows to the river this year — though there is concern that it may take more rain next year to recharge aquifers. “It’s true that in future years that could become problematic if that scenario plays out,” said NMFS Arcata Area Office Supervisor Irma Lagomarcino. The agency’s biological opinion aims to meet or exceed minimum flows for coho salmon and to provide flows that more closely mimic the natural rise and fall of the river, based on precipitation. Higher flows are meant to protect adult salmon migrating upstream during the hot weather of late summer. Craig Tucker, Klamath campaign coordinator for the Karuk Tribe, which calls the middle Klamath River home, said that the drought highlights the need for a new model for doing business. The Klamath restoration deal would have allowed water managers to base flows to the river on how much water was flowing into Upper Klamath Lake, preventing a draw-down of the lake and some of the water shortages anticipated this year. Tucker said it will be critical to inform farming communities that the deal is not in place yet and for supporters of the deal to back water-banking and federal disaster aid. “Everyone is scrambling to find a solution,” Tucker said.

YOUR BUSINESS

Research

by Cassandra Marie Profita

With trolling open again, DNA project back on track With ocean troll salmon seasons south of Cape Falcon looking up this year, Oregon’s scientific study of fish genetics is back in business. The cruel irony of recent years’ salmon closures has been a lack of fish available for scientists studying how trollers might target healthy stocks while protecting weak runs. Renee Bellinger, a biologist with Oregon State University, is one of many working with the Collaborative Research on Oregon Ocean Salmon, or CROOS, project. She said the promise of May openers in central and southern Oregon is good news for the project, which employs trollers to collect tissue samples from salmon in the ocean. The DNA in the samples tells scientists the age and river of origin of the fish and allows them to track the movements of specific runs for better fishery management. Mapping salmon: The end game is to prevent coastwide fishing closures by mapping out in real time where each river run goes after leaving native streams. But with the fishing seasons south of Cape Falcon shut down for two years in a row, the sampling stalled out. “It certainly has made it difficult because we haven’t collected any data,” Bellinger said. But this year will be different. The team now has approval to catch tissue samples even during periodic fishery closures and to borrow from neighboring openers to make sure the research reaches its goal of 800 tissue samples per month. The down years weren’t totally unproductive, Bellinger said. Researchers improved their at-sea data entry system for fishermen to use once the fish are hauled in. A data logger on board delivers information on where and when the fish were caught directly to the scientists’ database. A sister project, Pacific FishTrax, is looking at how to use the tracking data to better market wild-caught salmon. Many boats participate: The CROOS project this year will include 150 boats in Oregon, 50 in California, depending on season, and 10 volunteer trollers from Washington, which doesn’t have designated funding to compensate the fishermen. The bulk of the research is focused on

fisheries south of Cape Falcon, near Manzanita, Ore. But scientists are chiming in from up and down the West Coast. “It’s turned into a huge collaboration,” Bellinger said. This year the boats will also take biological samples from the salmon for diet analysis. Jerri Bartholomew, an OSU microbiologist, will use those samples to study a parasite common to fish in the Klamath River basin. The parasite Ceratomyxa shasta has wiped out populations of fall Chinook and coho at a much higher rate in the Klamath than in other river basins. Bartholomew is trying to figure out why and outline ways to fix the problem. A fishery management committee is looking at ways to use the CROOS project information in setting troll salmon seasons. But it needs more data. “Fishery management has been done with coded wire tagging for so long, we don’t know exactly how to change it yet,” Bellinger said. However, the team is making discoveries

about how salmon move around in the ocean. Plotting age groups: “The most striking thing is the change in age distribution over time,” Bellinger said. “You can see when the fish of a certain age class move out of an area — presumably to breed. There’s a big migration.” For example, Bellinger said, research shows a certain age class will stay off the coast of Newport from June through August. “Between late August and September, you can see the age change,” she said. “All the old fish are just gone and new fish are present.” The revelation could have given fishery managers advance notice of the impending doom for West Coast salmon fisheries from 2006 to 2008, when the Klamath and Sacramento river stocks collapsed. “If in 2006 you see a bunch of 3-year-olds, and in 2007 all of a sudden there wasn’t any, we could have used that to predict the following year class was going to be in trouble,” said Bellinger. “This allows you to know ahead of time, so you can mitigate for it.”

How are your Buoys Hangin·?

Strongest rope eye in the industry • Superior valve design Ideal for use with shackles • Available in a range of colors and sizes

To purchase MONDO products, contact your local distributor

The New Standard in Buoys and Fenders Mondo Polymer Technologies, Inc. P: 888.607.4790

27620 State Route 7, Reno OH 45773 F: 740.376.9960 www.mondopolymer.com/63 WWW.PACIFICFISHING.COM

MAY 2010

PACIFICFISHING 25

YOUR BUSINESS

Enhancement

by Wesley Loy

Alaska hatcheries want to make millions more fish Alaska fishermen and processors might get a crack at millions of dollars worth of extra salmon in coming seasons thanks to planned hatchery expansions. Major Prince William Sound and Southeast Alaska hatchery operators were set to outline their plans in public meetings of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game in Cordova and Sitka. If the state approves the expansions, the industry could reap benefits from millions of additional chum, pink, and sockeye salmon returning from the sea each year. Driving the hatchery expansions is market demand for salmon coupled with ample processing capacity, according to permit alteration requests that the private, non-profit hatchery operators filed with the state. Markets: “The global salmon market has been steadily expanding over the past several years, and Prince William Sound’s local processing capacity has increased significantly on numerous fronts,” the Prince William Sound Aquaculture Corp. told Fish and Game. Fish resulting from the proposed expansions “should be easily absorbed in the market place,” PWSAC said. A major Southeast hatchery operator, Armstrong-Keta Inc., which runs the Port Armstrong Hatchery, offered further insight. “Now is a particularly opportune time to increase the Port Armstrong chum permit,” Armstrong-Keta said. “Currently there is an imbalance in the supply of salmon in Southeast Alaska and the processor capacity to buy, process, and sell those salmon. “Several processors have informed us that they had to purchase salmon from Russia last year just to supply their traditional customers for Alaska salmon, and they have been urging us to increase our production. There is virtually no risk that an increased production of chums at Port Armstrong would not be harvested and sold to a willing and able processor, with many others waiting in the wings. “In contrast, there is a very real possibility that, if Southeast Alaska fails to increase its harvests in the next few years, there will be a shakeout and reduction in the processing capacity with long-term negative effects on the industry.”

Fish culturists Doug Dawson, Zach Newton, Henry Hastings, and Luigi Mostefa sort sockeye salmon broodstock during annual egg collection. Gary Martinek photos ➧

➧Fish culturists Renee Pszyk and Mary Stone inspecting a stream-side incubator box after loading it with about 250,000 sockeye salmon eggs. Prince William Sound Aquaculture Corp. employs 45 regular employees and 80 temporaries at its five hatchery locations. ies and turned out to sea as juveniles. Some of the hatchery catch is sold to cover hatchery expenses. The proposed hatchery expansions were likely to be controversial. Critics question whether the ocean has enough carrying capacity for raising additional hatchery fish. And, in the past, Western Alaska fishing interests have blamed the lack of chum buyers in their remote region on the huge hatchery output to the east. Another issue is the history of poor relations between PWSAC and the Department of Fish and Game. Last year, the department released a scathing report that questioned, among other things, whether PWSAC had disregarded excessive “straying” of hatchery fish, possibly to the detriment of wild salmon runs. Here’s a rundown of the most significant hatchery expansion proposals:

sel value of $1.5 million. Cannery Creek Hatchery — Increase pink salmon egg capacity from 152 million to 187 million, resulting in an additional 1.3 million adult fish annually, with an estimated ex-vessel value of $1.3 million. Main Bay Hatchery — Increase sockeye egg capacity from 10.2 million to 12.4 million, resulting in an additional 290,000 returning adult fish, with an estimated ex-vessel value of $2.2 million.

• Northern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association Hidden Falls Hatchery — Increase chum salmon egg capacity from 115 million to 160 million, resulting in an additional 1 million returning adult fish. The operator gave no estimate of ex-vessel value. The expansion will boost Hidden Falls chum returns, which for the past several years “have been some of • Prince William Sound Aquaculture Corp. the lowest in recent history,” NSRAA said. It Armin F. Koernig Hatchery — Increase believes increased rockfish and humpback capacity of pink salmon eggs from 162 whale predation on newly released fry is million to 190 million and chum salmon partly to blame. eggs from 17 million to 34 million. PWSAC expects the increases annually will result • Armstrong-Keta Inc. in an additional 1 million pink salmon Port Armstrong Hatchery — Maintain comadults and 470,000 chums, with estimated bined egg take for chum and pink salmon of Largest hatcheries: Alaska’s hatcher- ex-vessel values of $1 million and $2.2 115 million annually, but raise the chum cap from 30 million to 50 million eggs. This would ies rank among the world’s largest, and million, respectively. they contribute hugely to the state’s annual Wally Noerenberg Hatchery — Increase give the hatchery more flexibility, help develcatch of “wild” salmon. Of the 162 million pink salmon egg capacity from 148 million to op a troll fishery for chums in lower Chatham salmon harvested in 2009 in Alaska, 42 mil- 188 million, resulting in 1.5 million additional Strait, and meet processor cries for more fish, lion, or 26 percent, were fish born in hatcher- adult fish annually, with an estimated ex-ves- Armstrong-Keta said.

26 PACIFICFISHING

MAY 2010

WWW.PACIFICFISHING.COM

YOUR BUSINESS

A slow death

Vancouver Island trollers ask, Where is the American money? Trollers who work the West Coast of Vancouver Island are wondering where the money is. When Canada and the United States signed the Pacific Salmon Treaty in 2008, part of the agreement was that Canada would reduce its take of West Coast Chinook and the U.S. would provide $30 million in mitigation money to reduce the commercial troll fleet. Well, now the fleet’s share of the catch has been cut to starvation levels, but the money is nowhere in sight, trollers say. And just to add to the pain, while commercial trollers tie up to conserve fish, other fisheries on the same stocks are expanding. Kathy Scarfo, president of the Area G Trollers Association, said that Canada’s reduction of the West Coast Chinook catch is being borne entirely by the commercial fleet. “In 2008, DFO announced they signed the treaty and agreed to a 30 percent cut, so they put the whole burden on us,” she said. “It is a 50 percent or more cut to us.” Here’s the math: Scarfo said that given a Canadian allowable catch of 100,000 Chinook, 5,000 would be allocated to First Nations Food Social and Ceremonial fish (FSC), 50,000 would go to the recreational fleet, and 45,000 to the commercial trollers. Taking 30 percent off the top reduces the Canadian catch to 70,000, Scarfo explained, but the First Nations continue to get their 5,000, the recreational sector gets their 50,000, and the commercial fleet gets the leftovers. “DFO calls this their ‘save harmless’ fishery,” she said. “They don’t want to harm the sport fishery. Sport and FSC stays the same, so the whole cut comes off the commercial sector.” With the commercial troll catch a mere fraction of what it once was, many fishermen are eager to find out if they will get compensated for the loss. “They told us this year our catch would be 30,000,” Scarfo said. “Usually 100,000 to 160,000 is the troll share, and now we’re down to 30,000. That’s more than a 50 percent cut.” W h i l e c o m m e rc i a l f i s h e r m e n a re restricted to a limited number of fish,

by Michel Drouin

the recreational fleet continues to fish unabated. “Last year, the sports fishery took 70,000 in the offshore fishery, and DFO says they took 30,000 in the terminal fishery,” Scarfo said. “In the same area we are fishing, they took 100,000. It was a total runaway fishery. They usually take 50,000. In the same areas we’re not allowed to fish, for conservation purposes, they let them go wild. “A dead fish is a dead fish in August. The conservation concerns they tell us that constrain us in the summer are bogus. If the recreational fleet continues to expand, we don’t have a future.” Not for conservation: Scarfo said another reason Canadian fishermen feel burned is that, while they were sold the cutbacks as conservation, Canadian recreational fishing and U.S. commercial fishing continues. “This wasn’t conservation. These fish were harvested in the U.S.,” she said. “It’s great for the U.S., but it is costing Canadian jobs. It wasn’t conservation, it was reallocated, and in this reallocation move we want to see our money.” Fishermen and others formed a coalition to develop a long-term plan for the future that included a buy-back of some of the fleet, but fishermen don’t want to lose the support

infrastructure for the industry. “We saw this as temporary, and that after 10 years we’d have an active fleet on the West Coast again,” Scarfo said. “It is all sitting in DFO’s hands.” Scarfo said that, as far as fishermen knew, the $30 million was still in the United States, even though Canada’s Treasury Board could have the money just for the asking. “The last we heard, the U.S. still had it, but the DFO is busy crossing their t’s and dotting their i’s before they make any announcement,” she said. “That causes shivers of fear throughout the fleet. If DFO is doing that, it means DFO is making their own plan, and it isn’t good for fishermen, it’s good for DFO.” The closure of the troll fishery has a severe economic impact on small communities that served the troll fleet, like Ucluelet on the West Coast of Vancouver Island. A December report entitled Communities on the Brink, by Edward Lipsett of Lipsett Marine Consultants Ltd. of Ladysmith, said other communities such as Ahousaht, Zeballos, and Winter Harbour will be affected. Grocery stores, fuel docks, ice plants, and processors will all suffer reduced business.

WWW.PACIFICFISHING.COM

MAY 2010

PACIFICFISHING 27

YOUR BUSINESS

View from the tender

B.C. herring:

A blink-of-an-eye sac roe season

Paul Kershaw, Lynette Kershaw, Neil Kershaw, and Alan Mitchel shake herring on the M/V Jet Lag in the Gulf of Georgia roe herring gillnet fishery near Nanaimo. Photo by Walter Cordery, Nanaimo Daily News, Copyright 2010 After only a two-day salmon season on the tender vessel Hesquiat last October, I had hopes for a longer herring season in 2010. I got the call on Feb. 26 that I was definitely going out on herring this season, as cook/deckhand on the herring tender

Pacifica. But when, exactly? Well, that was up to the herring and the manager at the Canadian Fishing Co. Meanwhile, I went down to the boat and checked out the galley, made a short list of what I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need to get, and went home

by Michel Drouin and wrote wro a shopping list. (Well, my wife, Juliane, did; sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s always more organized than I am.) am Then iit was hurry up and wait. We were just about abou to have dinner when the phone rang at around 18:00 hours Saturday and a yes, the Pacifica was leaving at midnight, so P I had h d to t get the grub and get on the boat. We rushed off to the Super Store and got $576 worth of groceries for what could possibly be a week on the boat. On board were skipper Gerald Warren, whom I have sailed with numerous times, another old shipmate, engineer Kris Basso, and mate Bill Charlton, whom I had known since we both lived in Sointula and worked on salmon seiners. After a safety orientation, we left Sunday at 01:30 and got to Nanoose Bay on Vancouver Island around 07:30. The herring roe seine fishery opened at 07:00 hours. We spent the day watching the seiners work out in the Gulf of Georgia, but we werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t needed because seiners were putting their fish on partner boats. Management was saving us for gillnetters. We got the call and headed out towards continued on next page

HOW THEY FISH HERRING IN B.C.

!,!3+! 4%2-).!,3

28 Â&#x2026; PACIFICFISHING Â&#x2026;

MAY 2010

3OUTHEAST !LASKA (AINES *UNEAU 7RANGELL 9AKUTAT 7ESTERN !LASKA "RISTOL "AY "ETHEL $ILLINGHAM .AKNEK !LEUTIANS 0RIBILOFS $UTCH (ARBOR 3T 'EORGE 3T 0AUL

Â&#x2026;

WWW.PACIFICFISHING.COM

Herring punts used in the B.C. gillnet fishery look like giant aluminum ice-cube trays and range generally from 32 to 40 feet long. They are mostly powered by outboard engines, though some have inboard engines and are convertible to salmon gillnetting. Most punts have their cargo space divided into 12 or more units in which net brailers are fitted with aluminum frames for lifting to tender vessels. When full, each brailer may contain more than a ton of herring. Herring fishermen can leave their gillnets anchored. The 75-fathom long, 100mesh-deep nets are anchored at both ends. Once set, if fishing is slow, herring fishermen may return to their live-aboard â&#x20AC;&#x153;mothershipâ&#x20AC;? to wait for the net to fill up. When fishing is heavy as in 2010, by the time a punt delivered, it was time to shake the net again.

HUGE HERRING HARVEST POINTS TO REBUILDING STOCKS Herring gillnetter Paul Kershaw said he was surprised at how good the fishing was. “I didn’t expect the fish to be that big and catchable,” he said. “Even in the seine fishery, the fish were much bigger than they’d been in 10 years. The quality of the fish was superior to most years.” Kershaw says when a big year class of herring like this shows up, it’s an indication that stocks are building “I think when you have a big year class, it carries the stock for four or five years. It bodes well for the near future,” he said. “The nice thing is if the herring can come back like that, pretty near anything can as far as the other species.”

Kershaw estimated that fishermen would earn between $500 and $1,000 a ton for the herring. Lorena Hamer at the Herring Conservation & Research Society said that after the fishery was over, the size of herring schools off southern Vancouver Island were surprisingly large. “The fishery notice says there is 15,000 tons of fish as of yesterday [March 16]. That is a phenomenal amount of fish to be hanging around,” she said. “That is an indication of the abundance increase this year. The industry believes there was a lot of fish, and stocks looked really promising this year.” DFO reported 59 miles of spawn north of Nanaimo and a greater assessment was still expected, Hamer added.

B.C. HERRING — continued from page 28 Neck Point just north of Nanaimo, threw out the hook, and started taking fish from gillnetters. We began at 19:30 Sunday and worked for most of the night as the fishing was heavy. Several fishermen said it was the best herring fishing they’d ever seen. Guys would come in, deliver a puntload, run out to pick their nets and be back as soon as they had shaken their nets again. We unloaded full net brailers of herring, resting in between boats if we could. After finishing up at Neck Point, we ran up to

French Creek and took one last boat right in the breakwater there. We finished up at 05:30 Monday morning and tied up at the CFC plant in Vancouver by noon. That was the shortest herring season I ever had. Unloading was very busy at the plant, so we stayed tied up there until mid-morning Tuesday before the shore crew unloaded us and we were discharged for the season. What about all that grub I’d bought for seven days? Well, we ate as much of

it as we could on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. Gerald and Kris didn’t want to take anything home, so Bill and I split the perishables, leaving the canned goods on the boat. The gillnet fishery closed at 15:00 hours, Thursday, March 3, 2010. The preliminary validated catch was 3,576 tons out of a quota 3,480 tons. DFO closed the seine fishery on March 2 after the seine quota of 5,020 tons for this fishery had been reached.

New Telecommunications Cable in SE Alaska Installation of CGI’s high capacity Àber-optic communications system linking the communities of SE Alaska is now complete. The Àber optic system is now fully operational and has a minimum service life of 25 years. The cable provides a vital communication link between Alaska and the rest of the world. By avoiding operations directly on the cable route, you can prevent cutting this link, and possibly damaging Àshing gear. If you have entangled gear on the cable, or believe your gear has been in contact with the cable, please report the incident by calling:

Juneau

Angoon Petersburg

Sitka

Wrangell

1-888-442-8662

Ketchikan

(24 hours, 7 days a week) 5151 Fairbanks Street Anchorage, AK 99503-2781 1-888-442-8662 (907) 777-5513 Fax www.alaskaunited.com brein@gci.com

Call for complete position list and free charts

WWW.PACIFICFISHING.COM

MAY 2010

PACIFICFISHING 29

YOUR BUSINESS

The resource

by Jeremy Brown

We’re failing the acid test, and your profits will show it Since I started longlining more than 20 years ago, I’ve resulting acidification depletes the buffoccasionally pulled up coral that just didn’t look right. ering nutrients needed by many corals, We try to avoid snagging coral, and we rarely do. Gear is shellfish, urchins, crabs, plankton, and expensive, and halibut and black cod don’t tend to hang out near even finfish to grow their calcium carbonit anyway. But when some coral comes up, it can be so elegant ate shells and skeletons. and colorful. Lots of things in the ocean, in just about Jeremy Brown Recently I have noticed that sometimes it is dull and grayish. every significant food chain, rely on the Now I wonder if this discoloration could be a result of ocean ocean’s normally rich soup of carbonacidification. Dying corals are one of the many consequences — ate nutrients to grow and survive. Even a slight increase in acidlike dissolving oyster and clam larvae and other shelled plankton ity can deplete that soup enough to starve and dissolve some of — that scientists have linked strongly to loading the ocean with these species. carbon dioxide (CO2), mainly from burning fossil fuels. Among those known to be vulnerable are pteropods, tiny, thinBack in 1988, the oceanograshelled snails that swim in pher John Martin made headvast swarms in parts of the lines when he promised to ocean. They are a principal exploit the ocean’s capacity to food for pink, chum, and soak up CO2 . sockeye salmon. He stood up at a scientific Think about it. No pteroconference, put on his best Dr. pods, no humpies. Strangelove accent, and boasted: Acidification is not a mat“Give me half a tanker of iron, ter of opinion or belief. It is and I will give you an ice age.” a measured, documented He had shown that in some scientific fact, and humanparts of the ocean, phytoplankproduced CO2 is driving it. ton growth is limited by scarciSo when I see sickly looking ty of iron in the water. Just add coral, I wonder if acidification iron dust, and plankton would is responsible. bloom, absorb carbon dioxide, Recently I listened to Mark and cool the climate, right? Wiegardt, the operator of Soon there were companies Whiskey Creek Shellfish looking to dump iron grindings Hatchery in Oregon, explain across stretches of the ocean, Corals such as these on the Welker Seamount in the Gulf of Alaska face how his oyster larvae just die sell the “carbon credits” to Wall extermination as the ocean becomes more acidic. NOAA photo whenever upwelling occurs. Street for sequestering CO2, and He pointed out that Willapa even sell the “enhanced fishing rights” they reckoned would result Bay, normally a prolific natural oyster producer, has not had a sigfrom a bloom in ocean life. nificant spat set (a new starting crop of young oysters to grow out) But the consequences of mixing extra CO 2 into the ocean in five years. I have to think the dots are connected. are already coming home to roost, even without help from carbon Simply fertilizing swaths of the ocean to absorb more carbon entrepreneurs. seems likely to make matters worse, if it works at all. Experiments NOAA scientists have demonstrated that the ocean has show that the fertilized plankton die and release the CO back into 2 the sea and atmosphere, failing to sink to the seabed and turn into "Acidification is not a matter of opinion or belief. rock as expected. It gets worse. In March, newly published research from the Gulf It is a measured, documented scientific fact, and of Alaska showed that the main beneficiary of iron enrichment was human-produced CO2 is driving it." Pseudo-nitzschia, a diatom that generates domoic acid. Fishermen did not make this problem, but we are clearly stuck soaked up between a quarter and a third of all the CO 2 with the consequences. We could pull our heads under the covers, produced by man since the Industrial Revolution (you can track the but I strongly believe that denial will only let matters get worse. distinct isotopes). As fishermen, we need to speak up. Protecting our livelihood This has had a marked chemical effect. Mix it into seawater, and will require research and monitoring in order to understand this CO2 forms carbonic acid — the stuff of soft drinks. As acids go, new chemical adversary in the sea. It will also require strong emisthis is pretty weak stuff, although we all know the one about what sions-control policies to keep this emerging problem from turning Coca-Cola can do to a tooth. into a game-ender for fisheries. But it has happened on such a massive scale. In the upwelling Without something for fish to eat, we soon may not have anyzone along the West Coast of North America, conditions are more thing to catch. acute. The CO 2 from human emissions combines with naturally Bellingham-based Jeremy Brown trolls for salmon and longlines halibut high concentrations of CO2 from upwelling of deep water. The and black cod off the West Coast and Alaska. 30 PACIFICFISHING

MAY 2010

WWW.PACIFICFISHING.COM

ALASKA NOTEBOOK

by Wesley Loy

Halibut opens, Silver Bay grows, oil spill boats balk Halibut starts slow but rich: The halibut season opened extra early this year, March 6, but very few longliners tangled with storms that menaced much of Alaska’s coast. As a result, deliveries were thin and prices high at the start of the season. The Homer News reported record season opening prices of $5.95 to $6.25 per pound at Homer, the top Alaska port for halibut landings. As of March 20, the National Marine Fisheries Service reported 210 vessel landings totaling 1.7 million pounds, or about 4 percent of Alaska’s individual fishing quota for this season. The fishery, which opened 15 days earlier than last year, runs until midNovember. Halibut prices dropped last year amid the recession. The hope coming into this season was that an improving economy and a 6 percent cut in the coastwide catch limit might revive ex-vessel prices.

fast-growing franchise, purchasing the old Sea Hawk processing plant at Valdez. “We just thought it presented a good opportunity with the strong runs of salmon the hatchery systems have produced the last 20 or so years,” Rob Zuanich, a Silver Bay partner, told the Valdez Star. After improvements, the plant should be ready to run this summer, he said. Silver Bay debuted with a new processing plant at Sitka in 2007, then opened a second plant at Craig in 2009. The company counts dozens of fishing vessel owners, mostly seiners, among its investors.

and her fish policy adviser, Cora Campbell. Big bucks for marketing: Alaskans are campaigning for Congress to steer $100 million annually into a National Seafood Marketing Fund for distribution through nine new regional marketing boards. The money would come out of antidumping and other duties the government collects on imported fish products. Wrangell resident Julie Decker is among United Fishermen of Alaska emissaries traveling the country to try to build a national coalition in support of the fund. The Alaska Senate passed a resolution in favor of it on March 15. “What we’re trying to do is bring together all the seafood producers across the country — aquaculture and wild — to try to get more domestic marketing,” Decker said.

Spill boats balk: The company that runs the 800-mile trans-Alaska oil pipeline and the tanker dock at Valdez recently ASMI online: The admitted it was havAlaska Seafood ing trouble keeping the Marketing Institute’s required number of comThe classic halibut schooner F/V Vansee fishes in the Gulf of Alaska in 2008. 2008 mercial fishing vessels on Los Angeles–based ad Shawn McManus photo standby to help clean up agency, Schiedermayer & oil spills in Prince William Sound. Silver Bay has been effective in leverag- Associates, recently warned that other proFishermen and an oil industry ing government loans and real estate deals tein producers with bigger marketing budwatchdog group cited lagging pay and a to fuel its growth. gets — beef, chicken, and pork producers lack of respect toward the fishermen as — already had “well-integrated online and reasons the response fleet is eroding. social media strategies” that go far beyond Election 2010: Gov. Sean Parnell, who It worries responder John Velsko, a an ordinary Web site. Homer salmon and halibut fisherman. “The is finishing out Sarah Palin’s term, is lookTaking heed, ASMI now has a presence last thing we need is to lose more vessels,” ing good in his bid for a full term. In early on the social networking site Facebook. March, the Parnell campaign released a he said. Check out www.facebook.com/alaskaseafood Alyeska Pipeline Service Co. is required Basswood Research poll of 500 likely Repubfor news and notes about Alaska seafood by regulation to keep hundreds of fish- lican primary voters showing Parnell way and ASMI activities. ASMI also has rolled ing crews from several Southeast Alaska out in front with 69 percent, compared to 9 ports trained and ready to respond to spills percent for former Alaska legislator Ralph out an iPhone application, or “app,” offerquickly. Fishing vessels played a major Samuels, 4 percent for Anchorage lawyer ing recipes and how-to videos as part of ASMI’s Cook It Frozen campaign. Downrole in the Exxon Valdez response in 1989. Bill Walker, and 18 percent undecided. load it free at the App Store. In March, Alyeska said it would boost All the Democratic candidates are perpay by 10 percent and hear out fishermen ceived as underdogs. Pacific Fishing columnist Wesley Loy has complaints. On fish policy, Parnell has made few followed Alaska commercial fishing for more changes in the wake of Palin’s startling res- than a decade and runs his Deckboss blog Silver Bay surges again: Silver Bay ignation in July 2009. Parnell retained her a t w w w. p a c i f i c f i s h i n g . c o m o r a t Seafoods has added another piece to its fish and game commissioner, Denby Lloyd, www.deckboss.blogspot.com. WWW.PACIFICFISHING.COM

MAY 2010

PACIFICFISHING 31

LETTER FROM UNALASKA

by Anne Hillman

With new harbor and airstrip, will Akutan eclipse Unalaska? Pollock ‘A’ season: Alyeska Seafoods was the first to send its fleet out from Unalaska to search for pollock — and the first to finish up this season. Though the first few weeks were slow going, Alyeska’s fleet still decided to keep fishing when others waited in port. General Manager Sinclair Wilt said it was a wise decision because the pollock roe started to mature earlier this year than last, and flesh quality is higher before the roe matures. He said his fleet also beat the string of nasty storms that struck the region in late February and hammered the area with snow, freezing spray, winds, and waves. The weather during early February was lovely.

Akutan boat harbor: Akutan is getting a boat harbor as well. The Army Corps of Engineers was given stimulus funds to dredge out a deep water harbor and build two rubble mound breakwaters. The $31.9 million project is slated for completion about the same time as the airport, though the work does not include the inner harbor construction or any slips or other amenities. It will be big enough for 58 boats ranging up to 180 feet in size. Congress decided to give the project funding priority because the community does not currently have any place to moor boats; boats can just come in and off-load. The two large projects could Akutan airport: Looks like change is on the way for Akutan and have quite an effect on the community of just under 100 people. The fear in Unalaska is that it will have a negative effect on with it, change for Unalaska and anyone who fishes for Trident. this community. If planes can easily land there and boats can Akutan is finally getting a real airport. It won’t actually be on Akumoor there, why will some tan Island because the land members of the fleet still is too mountainous. It will come to this community? One be on Akun Island, which is answer might be the support seven miles away, and people sector and infrastructure will use a hovercraft to get to that’s here. But they could and from the town and the develop that infrastructure in airport. Akutan as well. The entire project, includSome wonder if the allure ing the cost of the hovercraft, of Unalaska’s upcoming $40 the hovercraft landing pads, million small boat harbor will the runway, and the airport be enough to keep the fleet in facilities, will cost about $75 the community. (The commillion. The funding comes munity is spending about from a variety of sources, $40 million to develop the including $52 million from inner harbor and road; the the Federal Aviation Adminbreakwater was completed istration. Trident is putting $1 with federal funds.) million toward the hovercraft, which will be operated and

Gonorrhea: So here’s the maintained by the Aleutians Postcard: A rainbow rests on processor Acutan in Akutan Bay in 1988 1988. deal, and it’s not pleasant East Borough. Jerry Tilley photo to talk about, but it’s a The project builders expect to open the facility in fall 2012. When they do, it will change flight pretty relevant concern for many adults. Gonorrhea infection rates have jumped 69 percent in Alaska from patterns for the entire region. Currently, if you want to go to Akutan you fly into Unalaska (weather permitting), then take the 2008 to 2009. And most of those cases are in Southwest Alaska, a region that includes Unalaska and Bristol Bay. aging Grumman Goose over to Akutan (weather permitting). The problem is that it’s not actually clear how many people have With the new airport comes a runway that’s longer than the one in Unalaska and has no mountains and waterways that make it the clap in this community. If you test positive here but your home harder to land in questionable conditions. It will be easier to fly to is in Seattle, then your case is counted toward the number of cases in Seattle. Since Unalaska is a very transient community, it’s hard Akutan than Unalaska. Now, the 3,000 seats per year that PenAir fills with Akutan to know the actual infection rates for any STD here. But no matter passengers from Unalaska, plus all of the processors and fishermen what, rates in this area are high. So if it burns when you go take a leak or anything else weird is who fly to Unalaska then take a boat to Akutan, will fly straight going on down there, even if the symptoms are mild, go get tested. from Anchorage to Akutan. On the downside, PenAir president Danny Seybert says that Tell your partners to get tested. It will help everyone in the end. If means they will fly fewer flights to Unalaska. Additionally, the gonorrhea outbreak continues, it’s likely that the bacteria will the community will lose revenue from people who have to stay develop more resistance to common antibiotics, making it harder to treat, epidemiologists say. overnight here on the way to Akutan. OK, that’s the end of the public service announcement, but think On the upside, planes might eventually be able to make stops about it. in Akutan to wait out bad weather instead of Cold Bay. Then, the hop over to Unalaska will be much quicker and you might be Pacific Fishing columnist Anne Hillman is news director for KUCB in more likely to get in. Or, you might just head to Akutan and stay Unalaska. She asked that we mention that, in the past, she taught about there because… sexual health and sexually transmitted diseases. 32 PACIFICFISHING

MAY 2010

WWW.PACIFICFISHING.COM

B.C. UPDATE

by Michel Drouin

Olympic protest against Norwegian fish farm companies In February, the legal group Ecojustice, actJust say no: About 100 people skirted the Winter Olympics crowds in Vancouver on a sunny Saturday afternoon for a rally ing on behalf of the Living Oceans Society, threatened to sue DFO for allowing a 37 peragainst Norwegian open pen salmon farms on the B.C. coast. Speaking to the gathered crowd, Otto Langer, a former cent size increase at a Marine Harvest salmon DFO employee, said that the B.C. coast already had species of farm at Doyle Island near Port Hardy. On March 1, environmental group T. Buck Suzuki Environmensalmon that had naturally evolved to be the correct species in tal Foundation and Ecojustice won the right to know what levels of this environment. “Our factory farms are a disconnect with nature,” he said. sea lice existed in salmon farms. B.C.’s freedom of information and privacy commissioner “Nature didn’t design Atlantic salmon to live in the Pacific Ocean. decided the Ministry of Why are they here?” Agriculture and Lands Langer was critical could no longer conceal of DFO’s role as cheerrecords of sea lice infestaleader for salmon farms tions based on information when its mandate was gathered during visits to to protect wild salmon, he said. salmon farms. “We want to rehabiliOn March 3, Tom tate the fishery, but we Brokaw aired a news have to rehabilitate DFO item on NBC blasting and the federal governfarmed salmon as a posment first,” he added. sible culprit in last year’s Chief Bob Chamberdisappearing sockeye lain, chairman of the in the Fraser River. You Musgamagw Tsawataineuk can see the segment at Tribal Council, drew www.msnbc.msn.com/ chuckles when he menid/3032619/#35697305. tioned being accused of casting a spell over NorPinks win food conwegian athletes in the test: Troller Rick Burns Olympics. (Pacific Provider) told me “If I had those kinds of Chief Bob Chamberlain, chairman of the Musgamagw Tsawataineuk Tribal Council he had his best year ever powers, you know who’d in British Columbia, criticized operations of B.C. salmon farms by Norwegian concentrating on pink win the next 6/49 lotcompanies. He spoke during the Winter Olympics in British Columbia. tery,” he said, adding that salmon in 2009. He’s he wished no ill to the Norwegian athletes at the games, nor to the placed his fresh-frozen-at-sea pinks in Vancouver and Whistler people of Norway. restaurants, and during the Olympics his pink salmon won the “But if I really had those powers,” he said, “the Norwegian- “People’s Choice Award” at a Canadian food showcase. owned salmon farms better look out.” “They had a Canadian food pavilion downtown during the On a more serious note, Chamberlain said salmon farms in his Olympics,” Burns said. “They chose 13 food producers from Broughton Archipelago territory were threatening a way of life around the province and paired them with chefs. I was paired with “We have a long tradition of salmon in our culture, and to be Tojo, who used my pink salmon, and we won first prize.” unable to pass this tradition to our children is unthinkable,” he Vancouver chef Hidekazu Tojo is internationally known for his said. “I find it offensive that Norway has national salmon fjords for Japanese seafood creations and is credited with inventing the B.C. wild salmon only, but here in B.C. they have their fish farms on our Roll. Tojo claims to have invented the California Roll as well, but wild salmon migration routes. “Where did we lose sight of having wild salmon in B.C.? I look at there have been arguments against that claim from California. “Tojo kept saying he couldn’t believe it was pink salmon,” Burns the fish-farming industry and say the time to change is now. “We insist that this industry be 100 percent responsible. Enough said. “What it looked like was a piece of sushi, raw pink salmon on of unloading the waste and toxins into our environment. The way rice with a sliver of asparagus and a bit of wasabi.” Burns says that he could tell that Tojo had done something speit is operating today is unacceptable.” Chamberlain said that DFO’s practice of calling more cial to the fish and, after a bit of quizzing, found out what it was. “He had marinated it for three days in his own marinade and meetings for consultations with critics of salmon farms was simply stalling tactics. lightly smoked it,” he said. “You knew you were eating pinks. But “They have a practice of delay, deny, and distort, and business it was amazing. And it won.” goes on as usual,” he said. Pacific Fishing columnist Michel Drouin has been poking around More salmon farm news: The salmon farm industry had a fishing vessels since 1959 and has been writing full time about the West pretty tough time overall in B.C. in February and March. Coast fishing industry for 20 years. WWW.PACIFICFISHING.COM

MAY 2010

PACIFICFISHING 33

MID-COAST REPORT by Cassandra Marie Profita Good news on hake, Columbia springers, Northwest trollers Hake limits on the rise: The Pacific hake fishery is coming out of last year’s doldrums with 193,935 metric tons up for grabs in 2010 — a boost from 135,939 tons last year. However, the feds were still negotiating with treaty tribes in mid-March for how much would be set aside for the tribal fishery. Motherships get 24 percent of the West Coast total, catcherprocessors get 34 percent, and shoreside boats 42 percent. Brad Pettinger, administrator of the Oregon Trawl Commission, said it looked like the shoreside fleet would get to catch nearly 50 percent more fish than it did last year. Shoreside boats should be looking at a limit of 62,000 tons, up from last year’s 42,000 tons, when Oregon’s fishery starts May 1. Pettinger also expects the price to rebound from a dismal 6 cents a pound in 2009. In previous years the price got up to 12 cents a pound. “We’re only halfway to where we were,” Pettinger said of abundance, “but we’re happy to be here. Next year it should be bigger again, hopefully.”

Last year 11 sea lions were killed at the dam, and four others were relocated to zoos and aquariums around the country. This year as many as 64 could be euthanized.

Rumor — Salmon gear selling out: In anticipation of an actual ocean salmon season on May 1, trollers in southern Oregon were hauling out their boats for repairs and buying gear in March, after the Pacific Fishery Management Council laid out three promising options for Oregon boats. Charleston troller Paul Heikkila said there was even a rumor flying around town that Englund Marine was selling out of salmon gear. “People are saying you’d better get it before it’s all gone,” he chuckled. “Of course, Englund’s probably started it.” Sacramento River salmon stocks are still weak, Heikkila explained, but returns to Oregon rivers are looking up this year from the Columbia River to the Chetco — “and even the Klamath is decent.” Heikkila, who represents Oregon trollers on the Pacific Fishery Management Council Salmon Advisory Subpanel, said he was pleasantly surprised by the options laid out at the March council. “We went there with zero expectations and came back with what I think is a reasonable season for the Oregon coast in general — especially from Tillamook south,” he said. “We might have an OK season if people want to buy the fish.” Trawlers line up in Warrenton, waiting for openings for pink shrimp and, later, a better season than last for hake.

Springers at $9.50 a pound: The first Columbia River spring Chinook caught in the Youngs Bay off-channel select area were selling between $9 and $9.50 a pound in March, after an 8.8-magnitude earthquake knocked out Chile’s farmed salmon operations. Commercial gillnetters were eager to catch a few more fish as they awaited their first opener on the Columbia River mainstem. “With Chile’s production gone to nothing and no fish on the market anywhere, it’s been pretty good,” said Astoria gillnetter Mark Ihander. Fishery managers predicted a whopping 559,000 spring fish would be returning to the Columbia River this year — more than double last year’s actual return. But then they hedged their bets by setting aside 30 percent of the run before determining catch allocations and season openers. “If this run comes in the way the old predictions used to be, it’s going to be a tremendous run,” said Ihander. “So tremendous they don’t believe it.”

Oregonian replaces Capt. Phil: Seaside native Derrick Ray has taken the place of Deadliest Catch celebrity Capt. Phil Harris on the blockbuster reality television series. Ray was uniquely positioned to take the helm of the F/V Cornelia Marie when Harris suffered a stroke and died in February. Ray earned his stripes as a highliner in the Bering Sea crab fishery long before the Discovery Channel entered the game. He’s also a veteran of the Pacific Northwest’s Dungeness crab fishery. Ray was taking a break from running the F/V Northern Endurance after last winter’s Dungeness season when he heard about Harris’ stroke and got a call from a friend asking him if he would take the job. The owner of the F/V Cornelia Marie is Cornelia Marie Devlin, who also co-owned the first boat Ray ever captained, the F/V Milky Way. Ray went on to lead the luxurious 136-foot F/V Siberian Sea in the Bering Sea, where he consistently out-produced most of the 250 crab boats in the derby days before the switch to individual fishing quotas.

Sea lions in the crosshairs: Six California sea lions were killed below the Columbia River’s Bonneville Dam in March in an ongoing attempt to stop the bloodshed of threatened and endangered salmon and steelhead. Fish and wildlife officials have tried dropping bombs that explode under water and firing rubber bullets from shotguns to scare the pinnipeds away from the fish ladders at the dam. But year Pacific Fishing columnist Cassandra Marie Profita also covers commercial fishing for The Daily Astorian. after year, more of them show up to the buffet. 34 PACIFICFISHING

MAY 2010

WWW.PACIFICFISHING.COM

FISH FACTOR Processors say (again) they can handle Bristol Bay rush

by Laine Welch

Editor’s note: We welcome Laine Welch as a columnist and contributor UFA President-elect Arni Thomson. to Pacific Fishing and Fish Wrap. She has covered commercial fishing “Some setnetters work four or five sites. in Alaska for more than 20 years. She’s perhaps best known for her Fish They’d likely have to hire a bookkeeper to Radio broadcasts. She lives and works in Kodiak. keep track of all the data.” From the outset, multi-agency and indusBristol Bay processors confident: Bristol Bay processors say they can handle this summer’s run at the world’s biggest sock- try stakeholder advisory teams expected that eye salmon fishery. That’s according to the annual processor sur- deckhands could provide their own work data using existing fish vey by ADF&G, which aims to give a snapshot of anticipated tickets and electronic landing systems. “Crews are so transitory, and modifying the simple swipe card processing capacity for the bay. The 2010 forecast calls for a catch of 30.5 million sockeye salmon, system already in place is the best idea,” said Shawn Dochtermann of the Kodiak-based down just slightly from Crewmen’s Association last year. Thirteen comand a stakeholder companies said they will be mittee member. buying and processing “We were really surfish at Bristol Bay this prised to see that option summer, and they can not included in the final handle 1.8 million salmon a n a l y s i s . We a l l a r e per day, identical to last willing to be very flexible, year. Processors expect a but without a crew swipe 6 percent decrease in tencard the program is being dering capacity throughset up to fail.” out Bristol Bay this sumThe crew doing their mer, but an increase in air own reporting was in transport. the lineup originally, but Fishermen are skeptilonger analyses showed cal, though, about the proit was not feasible for cessors’ claims that they collecting the kinds and can handle all the salmon. quality of data needed, For the past two summers, Nick Garay, from left, Shane Taylor, and Hannes Huswick of F/V United fish the said Jan Conitz, project huge pulses of salmon Nushagak District. Like others, the vessel was on limits last year, but because it has director for ADF&G. plugged processing plants two permit holders, the experience wasn’t as onerous as for other boats. Processors “The real problem is for several days, and fishwill have roughly the same capacity in 2010 as 2009. Erik Velsko photo that we don’t actually ermen were put on limits or beached at the peak of the season. A study by the Juneau-based know who is fishing as crew members. We have a database showMcDowell Group found that 37 million fish worth $131 million to ing persons who purchased licenses, but we don’t know where they fished or how long, or if they even fished at all. Others use a Bristol Bay fishermen swam by their nets from 2003 to 2008. The Bristol Bay salmon fishery accounts for 26 percent of all limited entry permit to qualify for crew license. So we don’t even seafood harvesting jobs in Alaska — and 33 percent of all wages know who those people are,” Conitz explained. “And since we don’t collect any other crew data, there is paid in the Bristol Bay region. nothing we can use to check the accuracy of their reports. In the case of skippers, we have their landing reports and a record of their Where are the deckhands? It’s tough to track a work- activities, so it is easier to follow up if we have missing or force when you don’t know where it is. But that will remain the inaccurate data.” case for more than 20,000 Alaska deckhands, at least for the Meanwhile, all agree that giving the program a trial run is a immediate future. worthwhile idea. Conitz is working with fishermen in the Kodiak Crews aboard fishing boats are one of the only groups of laborers fleet to have both crew and skippers voluntarily collect and report in Alaska not counted by the state. A project to collect labor data work data in log books for an upcoming cod fishery. She is hopeful on deckhands in every fishery has been under development for it will show the task is not a big deal. two years, and it seemed to be on its way for legislative approval “The actual reporting is not a big effort by anyone, but it’s been this year. blown up to be bigger than it is,” Conitz said, “and it comes on the Concerns by the United Fishermen of Alaska, however, were back of all kinds of other regulations and reporting requirements enough to stall the program from being introduced this session. At that people don’t like, so it might just be the straw that broke the issue: Skippers would be tasked with all the paperwork. camel’s back.” “We support the project but feel the burden should be on the crew,” said UFA Executive Director Mark Vinsel. “Skippers Laine Welch has covered news of Alaska’s seafood industry for print can verify the information. But this shouldn’t be a big hurdle to and broadcast since 1988. Her weekly Fish Factor column appears in 20 the program.” Alaska newspapers; her daily Fish Radio program airs on 30 Alaska Member salmon fishermen who make multiple deliveries a day stations. Laine also worked in seafood wholesale and retail businesses in were very concerned about the data collection and reporting, said New England and Alaska. She lives in Kodiak. WWW.PACIFICFISHING.COM

MAY 2010

PACIFICFISHING 35

PACIFIC FISHING market focus

N\ 9lp

High-Quality Long-Line

HALIBUT & BLACK COD

FISH HOLD

:Xcc =fi Hlfk\

Your quality catch, teamed with expert marketing, equals better results.

+),$.+*$')''

Cell 206-999-8000 Fax 425-335-3393 Satellite Alaska Dispatch #0423 keith@northportďŹ sheries.com www.northportďŹ sheries.com

SERVING THE MARINE INDUSTRY MOBILE SERVICE Oregon, Washington, Alaska & California Closed Cell Foam â&#x20AC;˘ Fiberglass â&#x20AC;˘ Gel Coat FAST SERVICE

RIGBY MARINE NEWPORT, OR

'6-- 4&37*$& 4)*1:"3% <eii mehai (* êkhi W ZWo" ),+ ZWoi W o[Wh je ][j oek XWYa je meha \Wij m_j^ l[ii[b h[fW_hi" ekjĂ&#x201E;jj_d]" cW_dj[dWdY[" cWèh Yedl[hi_edi WdZ ôXh_Z Yedl[hi_edi$

541-265-8100

/CB6=@7H32 27AB@70CB=@ ;7:: :=5 ;/@7<3 93<B E/ " # # !"!" 0C@</0G 01 $ " &%' $%! eee [WZZZ]U Q][ ÂľES >cb 6]`aS^]eS` B] E]`YÂś Advertisers Index Alaska Boats and Permits .......................41 Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute .........2 Alaska United/GCI ..................................29 Alaskan Quota & Permits........................41 Baier Marine ..........................................17 Ballard Electric .......................................36 Black Pearl IFQ Fisheries .........................41 City/Port of Kodiak .................................15 Coastal Marine Engine, Inc. ....................41 Dana F. Besecker Co ................................36 Delta Western.........................................28 Diesel America West ...............................37 Dock Street Brokers ................................39 First Bank ...............................................14 Fleet Refrigeration ...................................8 Foss Shipyard .........................................36 Gibbons & Associates, P.S. ......................37 Hans Johnson .........................................42 Hockema & Whalen Associates ...............37

36 Â&#x2026; PACIFICFISHING Â&#x2026;

MAY 2010

Inlet Fish Producers ................................13 Inmarsat North America .........................48 Jackson, Morgan & Hunt ........................37 Kinematics Marine, Inc. ..........................16 KVH Industries .........................................9 Ladner Traps ...........................................37 Law Office of Paul L. Anderson, PLLC ......37 LFS, Inc. ..................................................45 Lynden Transport ...................................47 M&L Research ........................................39 MARCO Global ........................................12 MER Equipment .....................................36 Mikkelborg Law Offices ..........................37 Mill Log Equipment Co., Inc. ...................36 Mondo Polymer Technology ...................25 Norm Pillen ............................................39 Northern Lights/ Lugger ........................11 Northport Fisheries ................................36 NPFVOA ..................................................42 NW Farm Credit Services ........................40

Â&#x2026;

WWW.PACIFICFISHING.COM

XXX GPTT DPN Osborne Propellers Ltd. ..........................37 Petro Marine Services.............................21 PFâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Newâ&#x20AC;?...................................44 Port of Coos Bay/Charleston Shipyard ....27 Port Townsend Shipwrights Co-op .........22 PROMENS ...............................................23 Rigby Marine..........................................36 Rockyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Marine .......................................20 Ryco Equipment .......................................7 Satellite Technical Services .....................10 Seabrooke Enterprises LLC ......................42 Silver Horde Fishing Supplies .................36 Stearns ...................................................19 Tatoosh Seafoods .....................................6 The Permit Master ..................................40 Viking Spirit ...........................................42 Warren L. Junes Ltd. ...............................37 WESMAR- Western Marine Electronics ...18 Wrangell Boatshop ................................37

Bellingham (Tony) Office 360-676-1606 Cell 360-739-3656

PACIFIC FISHING market focus www.osbornepropellers.com

Professional Services PLACE YOUR AD HERE

since 1935

Specialists in Marine Propeller Design, Manufacture and Repair

Advertise in

1865 Spicer Road, North Vancouver, BC, V7H 2V2 Bus 604-929-8407 Fax 604-929-7121 props@osbornepropellers.com

Call (206) 962-9315

LAW OFFICES OF MIKKELBORG, BROZ, WELLS & FRYER, PLLC

Hockema & Whalen Associates Naval Architects • Marine Engineers

Fishing Vessels Tug & Barge Dredging Floating Cranes Cargo & Misc. New Vessels Conversions Stability Analysis

“Serving the Maritime Community for 43 years.” Representing clients in all maritime actions including: • Maritime Contracts & Shipyard Disputes • Insurance Coverage & Bad Faith • Maritime Casualties & Salvage • Business Formation & Transactions HYDRAULIC AND MACHINE WKS.

Splice King Power Block All Stainless Construction Greaseable Seal Built into Hub to Protect Motor Shaft Direct Drive Tapered Shaft Char-Lynn Motors Stainless Backup Plate Fully Adjustable Stainless Peelers Stainless Sheaves Stainless Hub 6 Sizes Available

Gibbons & Associates, P.S.

Contact: Jess G. Webster 1001 Fourth Avenue Suite 3600 Seattle, Washington 98154 (206) 623-5890 Fax: (206) 623-0965 jgwebster@mikkelborg.com www.mikkelborg.com

Over 25 years experience

Jackson, Morgan & Hunt, PLLC

LINE COILER ALSO AVAILABLE

P.O. BOX 385 ASTORIA, OR 97103 (503) 325-0630 FAX (503) 325-0534 1-800-425-0630

5450 Leary Avenue NW #252 Tel: 206 365 0919 Seattle WA 98107 E-mail: boatstuff@hockema.com

Gibbons & Associates, P.S. 4123 California Ave SW #101

email svg@gibbonslawgroup.com www.jmhseattle.com

Covered Railways — Fiberglass, wood and metal professionals for all your vessel repair and maintenance. (907) 874-4669 Wrangell, AK

WWW.PACIFICFISHING.COM

MAY 2010

PACIFICFISHING 37

PACIFIC FISHING classifieds

THE PERMIT MASTER IFQs • VESSELS • PERMITS EXCEPTIONAL FULL SERVICE BROKERAGE — PERMITS — —IFQ— EXCEPTIONAL “FULL” SERVICE BROKERAGE SAMPLES ANY# "B/C" SE BCOD UN/BLKD @ WANTED ANY# "B/C" WY BCOD UN/BLKD @ WANTED ANY# "A/B/C" CG BCOD UN/BLKD @ WANTED 7,000# "C" WG BCOD BLKD @ $11 4,000# "A" AI BCOD BLKD @ $3 4,000# “A” AI BCOD BLKD @ LEASE 30,000# "B" BS BCOD BLKD @ $4.50 1,700# “D” 2C HAL BLKD @ $21 ANY# “C” 2C HAL BLKD @ WANTED ANY# “B/C” 3A HAL UN/BLKD @ WANTED ANY# “B” 3B HAL UN/BLKD @ WANTED 9,500# "B“ 4A HAL BLKD @ $12 15,000# “C” 4A HAL UNBLKD @ $14 ANY# "B/C" 4B HAL UN/BLKD @ WANTED 25,000# “B” 4C HAL UNBLKD @ $15 NEW LISTINGS DAILY. CALL FOR QUOTES OR CHECK OUT OUR COMPLETE LIST ON THE WEB

HERRING SITKA SEINE .................... WANTED PWS SEINE ...................... WANTED COOK INLET SEINE ...................N/A KODIAK SEINE ....................... $32K SE GILLNET ........................... $18K KODIAK GILLNET ................... $10K NORTON SOUND ..................... $2K HOONAH POUND ................... $65K CRAIG POUND ................. WANTED PWS POUND .............................N/A SALMON S.E. DRIFT.............................. $55K PWS DRIFT .......................... $122K COOK INLET DRIFT ................ $29K COOK INLET SET ................ $12.5K AREA M DRIFT ................. WANTED BBAY DRIFT ..................... WANTED BBAY SET............................... $30K SE SEINE................................ $79K PWS SEINE ............................ $90K KODIAK SEINE ....................... $29K CHIGNIK SEINE ...................... $90K AREA M SEINE ....................... $65K KOTZEBUE GILLNET ................ $5K

POWER TROLL ...................... $32K HAND TROLL ...................... $10.5K PUGET SOUND DRIFT............ $16K PUGET SOUND SEINE............ $80K SHELLFISH SE DUNGY 300 POT..................N/A SE DUNGY 225 POT............... $40K SE DUNGY 150 POT............... $26K SE DUNGY 75 POT................. $15K SE POT SHRIMP .................... $16K SE TANNER ............................ $65K SE RED .................................. $85K SE RED/TANNER .................... $85K SE RED/BRN .................... WANTED KODIAK TANNER.................... $29K PUGET S CRAB ................ WANTED DIVE SE GEODUCK ......................... $80K SE CUCUMBER ...................... $11K MISC. CAL LOBSTER ........................ $65K CAL SPOT PRAWN ........... WANTED CAL SQUID ...................... WANTED CAL SQUID LITE BOAT........... $70K CAL SWORDFISH GILLNET…$20K

LISTINGS WANTED!!! IFQ: ALL AREAS BOATS: ALL KINDS PERMITS: ALL TYPES JOIN OUR LIST OF SATISFIED CUSTOMERS. CALL TODAY. BUYERS ARE WAITING.

www.permitmaster.com

PARTIAL LIST/CALL IF YOU DON’T SEE IT!

P1736M – 32' ALUMINUM AMERICAN COMMERCIAL, GMC 8.2LITER MAIN, TWIN DISC GEAR, MARITIME POWER ROLLER, TWISTER DRIVEN SLIDING REEL W/LEVELWIND, CONSTANT HYDRAULICS WITH 2 SEASONS ON NEW LOAD SENSE VALVES. GPS, PLOTTER, FLASHERS. GREAT ALUMINUM BOAT FOR GREAT PRICE. ASKING $65K.

P1741M – 48' WHALEBACK DELTA, JOHN DEERE MAIN, 50KW ISUZU GEN SET, 15 TON RSW IN MAIN HOLD PACKS 50K, BACK HOLD SET UP FOR FREEZING. RIGGED FOR LONGLINE WITH ALUMINUM SHELTER, 24" KOLSTRAND HAULER, BCOD AND HALIBUT GEAR. RIGGED FOR CRAB W/ MARCO HAULER, BAIT CHOPPER. GREAT PACKAGE DEAL, REDUCED TO $499K.

P1748M – 58' FIBERGLASS SEINER/LONGLINER, KTA 1150M CUMMINS MAIN, PERKINS AUX, W/HYRAULICS OFF BOTH ENGINES. PACKS HONEST 100K SALMON BELOW DECKS. ACCOMODATIONS FOR 7, SEPARATE HEAD & SHOWER. ADMEASURE DONE, BOAT HAS ALREADY FISHED IN U.S. $399K.

P1750M – 54 X 16.5 STEEL MARCO SEINER, GMC 8V92 W/FRESH COMPLETE REBUILD, 40KW JOHN DEERE, 15 TON RSW. PACKS 90K BELOW DECKS. HEAVY DUTY ALUMINUM SLIDER BOOM AND GRIPPER BLOCK. COMPLETE ELECTRONICS. READY TO GO FISHING. ASKING $249K.

P1771M – 32' AMERICAN COMMERCIAL, 3208T CAT MAIN, 506 TWIN DISC GEAR, ARTICULATING REEL W/AUTO LEVELWIND, COMPLETE ELECTRONICS INCLUDING AUTO PILOT. VERY WELL MAINTAINED. NEW INSULATED HOLDS FOR SLUSH. NEW RUNNING GEAR. NEW JABSCO. ASKING $65K.

P1772M – ALL AMERICAN BOW/STERNPICKER, TWIN 400HP CUMMINS, PITTS CLUTCHES DRIVING 291 HAMILTONS, 7.5 TON IMS RSW, COMPLETE ELECTRONICS. AVAILABLE AFTER 2010 SEASON. ASKING $200K.

P1776M – 1982 MARCO 32, 1990 3208T CAT W/3500 HOURS, ARTICULATING REEL W/LEVELWIND, 2 GARMIN GPS, GARMIN SOUNDER, WATCH ALARM. VERY WELL MAINTAINED. BOAT COMES WITH 13 - 50 FATH SHACKLES, 11 WITH NEW WEB. BOAT AND GEAR ASKING $115K.

P1778M – 1986 ALUCRAFT, NEWER 8.2L GMC W/2000 HOURS, LOAD SENSING HYDRAULICS, FLUSH DECK, BOWTHRUSTER, NARROW REEL W/LEVELWIND, FULL ELECTRONICS INCLUDING AUTO PILOT, PROP CLEANOUT, DRIPLESS STUFFING BOX. LOADS OF NEW SPARES. ASKING $95K, AVAILABLE NOW.

CALL FOR A COMP L E T E L I S T O F V E S S E L S F O R S AL E

IN C L U D IN G MA NY BOAT/PERM IT PACKAGES

Toll Free: 888-588-1001 ONLINE @ www.permitmaster.com Email: vessels@permitmaster.com Fax: 360-293-4180 4302 Whistle Lake Rd • Anacortes, WA 98221

PACIFIC FISHING classifieds PACIFIC FISHING classifieds FOR SALE: 60 tubs dogfish/cod gear, 70 tubs halibut gear, 20 anchors, 14 flagpoles,chute, 12 buoys, gurdy, herring seine,10 “ herring pump, powerskiff-6 cyl ford with nozzle, salmon seines 5.75, 8.75. ph 604-241-0594

Need great CREW? Use AlaskaCrewFinder.com to help fill your open positions: • FREE Job Postings! • FREE Resume Searches! • FREE Company Profile!

FOR SALE 45 ft. glass Sunnfjord longliner/troller: 6552 lb. 2C-C Halibut quota, Choice beachfront cabin/property in Port Alexander, Alaska. Boat (only): $130,000. Contact (907) 738-8294.

ALASKA FISHING INDUSTRY JOBS Use AlaskaJobFinder.com to help you land your next position – deckhands, engineers, mates, captains, processors, cooks, management, etc. Try it FREE at: www.AlaskaJobFinder.com/trial

Absolutely no cost for employers We specialize in all positions including: • Deckhands & Processors • Mates & Captains • Engineers • Cooks • Etc.

Go to: AlaskaCrewFinder.com

58' Delta. F/V Cape Reliant is ready to fish your ifq’s in 2008. Safe and reliable. Flexible schedule/ terms. Call (907) 518-1652 or (907) 772-3737 or dispatch: 0703 or Sat. phone: (866) 621-8890.

Dock Street Brokers

CO9-008 58’ steel trawler/ combination vessel built in 1979 by Sea Steel Inc. Cat 3408 main overhauled in 2007. 40kw and 10kw gen sets. Packs 100,000 lbs. Asking $375,000. HALIBUT IFQ 2C-B-U: 1,500 lbs.....asking $24.00 2C-C-B: 5,000 lbs.....asking $25.00 3B-B-U: 3,500 lbs.....asking $20.00 3B-B-U: 3,500 lbs.....asking $20.00 3B-C-B: 12,000 lbs.....asking $19.00 4A-B-U: 25,000 lbs.....asking $16.00 4A-B-B: 7,500 lbs.....asking $15.00 4A-D-B: 2,500 lbs.... asking $11.00 4B-B-B: 6,000 lbs.....asking $12.50 4C-C-B: 12,500 lbs.....asking $14.00 4D-B-B: 2,500 lbs.....asking $11.00

SABLEFISH IFQ AI-B-U: 200,000 lbs.....asking $3.00 BS-B-U: 35,000 lbs.....asking $4.50 CG-C-B: 4,000 lbs.....asking $17.00 WG-C-B: 2,500 lbs.......asking $7.50 WG-C-B: 1,500 lbs.......asking $7.50

SP9-005 36’x11.7’ Mel Martin gillnet sternpicker built in 1978. 340 hp Volvo 71 A main with only 6,500 hours. 10,000# capacity. Asking $70,000.

F/V Nancy Ellen is available to catch Halibut Quota in areas 3B, 4A and 4B. Interested parties please call Byron or Paula at (907) 359-3655 or (907) 246-8510. Or email: singley_inc@yahoo.com.

(206)789-5101 (800)683-0297

SE10-002 44’ fiberglass seiner w/RSW built by Hansen in 1977. Cat 3306 300hp main with 500 hours on rebuild. 18 ton RSW, new IMS chiller in 09, new compressor and circ. pump in 08. Asking $195,000.

58 ft Delta, New L.P. paint, New U.H.M.W. guards and cap rails, new tail shaft, new intermediate shaft, new bearings, new John Deere aux., rebuilt refrigeration, A.M. Aluminum 8” boom w/slider, 28” Marco powerblock with tire and swivel, new Valvoil hydraulic valves, two new picking booms, new #8, two #4’s, and vanging pullmaster winches, new air boot p.t.o., newer electronics. Asking $800,000; contact Tom at (310)505-8194.

Selling your boat? Low 5% Commission Call Today! (800) 683-0297

CR10-004 101’x26’ crabber/ tender, built 1979 by Patti. Twin GMC 8V92 mains. 50 ton RSW system, packs 210,000#. Comes rigged with cod pots and LLP. Asking $532,000.

RS9-003 39’x14’x6.6’ research/gillnet sternpicker built by Aluma-Tech in 1991. Twin Volvo mains rated at 260 hp each. 37 knot top speed. 12” aluminum A-frame and gillnet reel and power roller included. Asking $165,000.

Come see us at www.dockstreetbrokers.com WWW.PACIFICFISHING.COM

BOAT FOR SALE LOA 95’; Beam 25’; Gross Tons 160; Net Tons 48. Built in Bayou Labatre, AL. Year 1999; Engine CAT-3412; H.P. 671; Auxiliary CAT-3056. Price: $450,000 USD. Location: Ensenada, B.C. Mexico. Recently hauled (February) new paint ,new zincs and clean! Contact Luis Castaneda at: 484 Bonito Ave., Imperial Beach, CA 91932 USA. Or email: luis_castava@hotmail.com.

MAY 2010

PACIFICFISHING 39

PACIFIC FISHING classifieds Boats/Permits/IFQs

Alaska Entry Permit Prices (as of 5-1-10) Species

Spend your time looking for fish. Not financing. We Finance t 1FSNJUT t 3FBM FTUBUF t 7FTTFMT t &RVJQNFOU t 3FQPXFST t 0QFSBUJOH MJOFT PG DSFEJU t :PVOH BOE CFHJOOJOH GJTIFSNBO

800.372.0112 farm-credit.com/fisheries

Fishery

SALMON S SE DRIFT S PWS DRIFT S COOK INLET DRIFT S AREA M DRIFT S BRISTOL BAY DRIFT S SE SEINE S PWS SEINE S COOK INLET SEINE S KODIAK SEINE S CHIGNIK SEINE S AREA M SEINE S COOK INLET SET S AREA M SET NET S BRISTOL SET NET S LOWER YUKON S POWER TROLL S HAND TROLL HERRING H SE GILLNET H KODIAK GILLNET H SITKA SEINE H PWS SEINE H COOK INLET SEINE H KODIAK SEINE H SE POUND SOUTH H SE POUND NORTH H PWS POUND SHELLFISH S SE DUNGY 75 POT S SE DUNGY 150 POT S SE DUNGY 225 POT S SE DUNGY 300 POT S SE POT SHRIMP S KODIAK TANNER <60 S PUGET SOUND DUNGY S WASHINGTON DUNGY S OREGON DUNGY S CALIFORNIA DUNGY SE ALASKA DIVE SE AK Dive URCHIN SE AK Dive CUCUMBER SE AK Dive GEODUCK

Asking Price*

Offer*

State Value*

53122+ 28.5+ 105 100+ 79+ 8617 2790 65 1255+ 30 9.532+ 10.5+

52117+ 25.5+ 102 95+ 75 80+ 17 2549 65+ 10N/A 29.5 N/A 31+ 9.5

53 110.6 25.8 95.5 85.3 70.5 76.2 16.9 27.8 70.8 69.7 10.7 51.3 27 9.1 29.9 9.7

16 5N/A N/A 25+ 32 17 65 4

15+ 4 500 30 15 20+ 16 60 3

14.7 4.3 290 10.3 9.3 21.3 18.9 67 3.6

1526+ 3870 16 2970 1,500-2,750/FT 1,500-3,000/FT 400-1,200/FT

14.5N/A 37+ 60 1525 68+ 1,000-2,500/FT+ 1,000-2,500/FT 300-1,000/FT

16.3 31.6 42.1 65 13.3 23.8 N/A N/A N/A N/A

5 980

N/A 974+

3.8 10.8 73.6

Prices in MAY vary in accordance with market conditions.* in thousands + denotes an increase from last month. N/A denotes No Activity. – denotes a decrease from last month.

By Mike Painter and the Permit Master Gillnet: Price adjustments for the Bay started coming out in late February and early March and Bay permits took off like a shot. Permits that were available in the high $80s in early March were fetching $95k 2 weeks later, if you could find one. Not much change in SE permits from a month ago with limited sales still going in the low $50s. PWS permits were still available around $120k and offers had moved up slightly to around $117k. Cook Inlet permits were still trading in the mid to upper $20s. Offers for Area M permits were coming in @ $102-105k. Seine: SE permits were holding in the mid to upper $70s. Not much doing in PWS with permit available @ in the upper $80s and offers @ $80k. A couple of Kodiak permits on the market @ $27k had those permits down a little from a month ago. A couple of Area M permits traded in the last month in the low to mid $60s. Troll: A few Power Troll permits moved in the last month, cleaning out a lot of the inventory around $30k. New prices were up slightly. Hand troll permits continued to be available over $10k. Crab/Shrimp: Demand for Puget Sound crab permits started to slow in March. Lack of permits available will probably hold the value in the upper $60s. Not much change in the market for coastal crab permits. There were a few new listings, but not much was moving with the season winding down.

40 PACIFICFISHING

MAY 2010

WWW.PACIFICFISHING.COM

BOX score

PACIFIC FISHING classifieds

Halibut & Sablefish IFQ Prices

Boats/Permits/IFQs

Recent market activity in halibut and sablefish quota shares

Species

Status Regulatory Vessel Poundage (blocked/ Area Category* (thousands) unblocked)

Ask

Offer

(per pound) Low High

1-10

21.00-25.00

20.00-24.00

C/B

1-3

22.00-25.00

21.00-24.50

C/B

4-10

24.00-26.00

24.00-25.00

C/B

ANY

25.00-26.00

24.00-24.50

B/U

N/A

25.00

B/U

19.00-24.00

18.00-23.00

C/B

1-5

20.00-24.00

19.00-22.00

C/B

5-10

24.00-26.00

22.00-24.00

C/B

>10

25.00-26.00

24.00-25.00

C/B

>10

26.00-29.00

24.00-26.00

B/U

28.00

26.00

18.00-23.00

16.00-19.00

C/B

1-10

17.00-20.00

17.00-18.50

C/B

>10

20.00-23.00

17.00-19.00

C/B

>10

20.00-23.00

18.00-19.00

B/U

N/A

22.00

B/U

10.00-14.00

9.00-10.00

C/B

1-10

11.00-12.00

10.00-11.00

C/B

>10

12.00-14.00

10.00-12.00

C/B

>10

14.00-18.00

13.00-15.00

4B/C/D

C/B

1-10

9.50-13.00

7.00-8.50

4B/C/D

C/B

>10

B/U

11.00-15.00

9.00-11.00

C/B

1-10

19.00-22.00

18.00-20.00

>10

22.00-23.50

B/U

24.00

23.00 19.00-21.00

C/B

1-10

19.00-22.00

C/B

>10

22.00-23.00

21.00-22.00

B/U

23.00

C/B

1-10

17.00-19.00

16.00-18.00

C/B

>10

B/U

18.00-20.00

17.00-19.00

B/U

20.00

C/B

1-10

7.50-11.00

7.50-10.50

C/B

>10

11.00-12.00

10.00-11.00

C/B/A

>10

13.00-15.00

11.00-12.00

C/B/A

B/U

1.25-5.00

1.00-2.50

C/B

B/U

2.00-5.00

2.00-4.00

B/U

7.00-9.00

5.00

*Vessel Categories:

(206) 784-3703 FAX (206) 784-8823 4300 11th Ave. N.W. Seattle, WA 98107

A = freezer boats B = over 60’ C = 35’-60’ D = < 35’

NOTE: Halibut prices reflect net weight, sablefish round weight. Pricing for leased shares is expressed as a percentage of gross proceeds. ** Too few to characterize.

www.coastalmarineengine.com

By Mike Painter and the Permit Master

Alaska Boats & Permits, Inc. PO BOX 505, HOMER ALASKA 99603

FULL SERVICE MARINE BROKERAGE FAX: 907-235-4965 E-MAIL: abp@acsalaska.net

Prices for 2C and 3A Halibut quota remain high and availability is low. While activity is picking up out west, there are still decent deals and selection on 3B and 4A quota. Ex-vessel prices are all over the board, but demand for the quota is stronger than it has been for a while. Availability of Blackcod quota is down everywhere except the Aleutians. At press time, there was no unblocked on the market for SE, WY, CG and WG. An earlier sale of SE unblocked pegged the value @ $23.50!! Now that’s a little tough to put a pencil to. If you’re fishing or selling, you’re smiling. If you’re thinking about buying, you’re looking for a new calculator.

800-992-4960 907-235-4966 UPDATED LISTINGS ON THE WEB

www.alaskaboat.com

IFQs

PERMITS

WWW.PACIFICFISHING.COM

VESSELS

MAY 2010

PACIFICFISHING 41

PACIFIC FISHING classifieds

F/V CARLYNN is available to harvest halibut in areas 2c, 3a, and 3b. Black cod in areas SE, WY, and CG. Flexible rates and scheduling good references. All #1 fish and best prices at time of delivery. Please call to plan for ’09 and beyond. Rob at (907) 321-0486 or (907) 364-3813. Seabrooke Enterprises LLC, owners of F/V Seabrooke, are interested in LEASING CRAB QUOTA. We offer: skipper (father/ son team) with over 30 years of combined experience; vessel professionally operated/ managed, above average catch history, exceptionally well-maintained (hauled every two years), economical to operate with all Caterpillar power, current survey on request, competitive harvest rates, desire to stay actively involved in ﬁsheries. If you are interested in LEASING CRAB QUOTA, please contact us: ofﬁce (541) 938-3542, (509) 522-5252; cell (509) 520-0911, (509) 200-9508; fax (541) 938-8164; email kcampbell3542@charter.net.

F/V QUIK SET - 32x13, 1987 Alucraft BBay sternpicker. 3208T Cat diesel with approx. 6000 hrs. HD hydraulics, narrow drum w/ auto levelwind. Packs 18000+ under hatches. Exceptional maintenance of boat-equipment by same owner for 13 years. Turn key with many recent upgrades. Owner will help commission for 2010 season. Call Brad at 253-261-5340 or 253-852-5513 wk. for pictures/specifics. Located Dillingham, AK. 105K

FOR SALE OR LEASE 54' F/V KODIAK SOCKEYE. PWS Market and Permit Holder willing to go aboard. Call (360) 379-5650 or harderpaul@hotmail.com.

37' Fiberglass Troller/combo Economical Isuzu Diesel, electronics, exceptionally tidy, streamlined and turnkey. Email for pictures. Located in Victoria BC - short walk from the Seattle/Port Angeles ferry. $69K/obo - cfvironmaiden@shaw.ca (250) 642-3551.

F/V TRADITION - 58' x 21' Tradition will fish your halibut and blackcod IFQs, April through September. Outstanding experienced crew with great catch record. We catch ‘em fast and always target the best grade. We shop for the hightest prices, traveling the distance when needed. VERY competitive rates. Call Blake (503) 440-1523 (please leave message).

F/V VULCAN - 1992 Kvichak, 460 Lugger, 32'x13.4', flush deck, RSW, bowthruster, 4 shackle reel, new bottom, full electronics, herring shaker, stored inside. Available after 2010 BB season. $260,000. cwhite@coldreams. com. (208) 265-5742.

FISH WITH THE VIKING! Maximize your IFQ return on the F/V Viking Spirit

California light boats and purse seiners for squid and sardines with permits available now. Call Don (949) 279-9369.

• Mustad Autobaiter • Great sea boat w/shelter deck • Outstanding crew • Can meet or beat any rates

Call Pete (425) 205-0996

FOR SALE WOOD SEINER BUILT IN 1963, SEATTLE 54' X 16' wide, 3306 Cat - rebuilt 3 years ago. Big packer, holds 70,000 lbs. Excellent hydraulics, electronics. Lots of recent work - comes with 4 strip S.E. Seine and 2 power blocks. Asking $85,000 OBO. For more info, contact Dan Marsden at (907) 617-5918. FOR SALE Togiak Herring Seine and Skiff. $5500 OBO. Seine hung by Jack & Joe of Bellingham. 50% web hung in. Good shape. Skiff 16' fiberglass Olsen. Needs outboard motor. Phone (360) 951-6058.

F/V SARSEN - 53' ketch rigged motor sailer. Price $210,000 cash or trade. Boat built 1994 Port Townsend, Skookum mold, Blue Water boat. Engine 6-71 Detroit, 36-inch prop, FG construction. Fish hold: 28,000 lbs., frozen 25 minus. 2,000+ gal. fuel, sails perfect condition, Northern Lights gen. 121/2 kW, all electronics, top brands, VHF, radar, weather fax, low-freq. radio, autopilot, GPS. Worked tuna three years, bottom painted and checked every season. Selling due to other business, no time to fish. Phone Capt. Mark Pratt, (pager) (206) 595-3146 or F.W. Pratt, (406) 671-5080. Boat in Ilwaco, WA.

Harvest your A, B, or C IFQ’s on the F/V Expatriate

A fully equipped and well maintained 58’ Delta. Experienced captain and crew with a reputation for quality; best markets for your catch. Buyer references available.

Call 907-772-4856 weekdays OR mobile 602-320-9050 FOR SALE Three Hamilon 321 jet pumps for sale. Each unit comes with two impellers (valued at 5K apiece new). Each unit has been totally gone thru and rebuilt. Spare impeller is new for each unit, impeller in the pumps are rebuilt. Each unit is in “like new” condition. Asking 20K obo for each unit. Please call (360) 961-5747 or email: geoduck1@comcast.net CALL THE CLAM MAN For all your clam needs. Cockles, steamers butters and horse necks. Human consumption or bait. Also commercial diving supplies. Call Doug’s Diving, (503) 322-2200 or (800) 355-DIVE, www.dougsdiving.com. Volvo-TAMD 122B Excellent running condition with approximately 15,000 hours. Upgrading to tier II engine. Available after halibut season in Kodiak. Best offer. (907) 486-2527 or email: pete@gci.net.

F/V POST POINT - 32 X 13.4 1990 ALFA/NW Marine Fabrication Bristol Bay Gillnetter; 3208 Cat TD5111 Gearbox; IMS RSW Bowthruster; power steering; load sense hydraulics; powered off gearbox PTO; 200 fathom piston drive reel w/autolevelwind; flush deck and much more. This boat is easy to maintain and fish located at Leader Creek Naknek Alaska. FOR SALE after 2010 Salmon Season. 360-223-3583.

FOR SALE F/V O-See-O. Length: 44', weight: 13', depth: 7', engine — new 6.7 Gimmy. All geared for power trolling. Please call 1 (907) 874-2484 or email: oseeo@aptalaska.net.

FOR SALE 875 meshes X 300 F WC salmon seine from BC. Shirt line and SS rings, well maintained. $4,000. (604) 619-6090 or email oceanventure@telus.net.

42 PACIFICFISHING

MAY 2010

WWW.PACIFICFISHING.COM

FOR SALE Salmon seine, herring seine, power skiff with nozzle, 3/8 Everson halibut tub gear, buoyline, bladders, anchors, flagpoles, gurdy. 65' boat with freezer, rigged for tuna, halibut, salmon, herring, tuna gurdys and gear all discounted 75%. (604) 241-0594. http://us.mc655.mail. yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=captmike@shaw. ca"/t"_blank" or email: captmike@shaw.ca.

PACIFIC FISHING classifieds PACIFIC FISHING classifieds

FOR SALE 58' x 24' Jensen designed steel limit seiner, Dual refrigeration, Cat power, Packs over 150,00#s. 95% complete. Serious inquiries only. (714) 401-8239.

FOR SALE 1979 Gulf fiberglass, 41'/14.5 fr. turn key. Ready for your longline, port fishery. Excellent maintenance, many recent upgrades. $115,000.00. Call: (907) 617-1514. FOR SALE BB PERMIT, GEAR and BOAT: fiberglass. Built by Kachemak Bay Marine, 300 Cummins with 800 hours. $229,000. Call (503) 267-9970.

EXXON PLAINTIFFS (lien agents) Has distribution of your Exxon funds taken over 6 months to receive? Join a specialized class action to petition Exxon Qualified Settlement Fund to promptly process your payments. If interested, you may fax your request to (425) 671-0053, Curt Peterson, co-plaintiff. Requests will be collectively forwarded to E.Q.S.F. If plaintiffs would like monthly updated progress reports, provide an email address. LETS FISH YOUR IFQ Halibut and Black Cod. F/V Sierra Mar 58' Delta, works all seasons and all areas and walkons, leases,crewing owners and all parteners are welcome to call. This boat, operation and crew are safe, clean and reliable. Marco Auto baiter, good grub, longtime crew and all area experience and best %’s with crew share, no #2’s and bycatch for Q owner make this boat a good call. Annual upgrades and maintainance done every off season. Please call for more information, schedualing, references and possibilities fro 2010 and beyond. Kevin Seabeck (206) 399-9267 or kjs53@aol.com. Fish double drift permit in Bristol Bay. I have permit and experience in BB and Prince William Sound. You have boat and Bristol Bay permit too. Call Kirk at (206) 533-3405. FOR SALE: Mustad Auto Baiting System for sale. Includes Baiter, Combe, 20 magazines of gear, and all rails and hangers. Fits on a 58 foot boat. $45,000 for all OBO. Call: (907) 253-7435 or email: rmckenzie@ctcak.net

F/V ELIZABETH S (47 ft. Delta) available to harvest c class 2c, 3a halibut and SE blackcod. Competitive rates for hired skipper, medical transfers, or walk-ons. Small blocks welcome. Contact Daniel Smith at (907) 209-2215.

F/V LISA GAYLE is available to fish your IFQ. Flexible rates, comfortable boat. Call to schedule a convenient time to fish. (503) 791-2887 cell. (541) 568-4051. Great rates for large quotas! CAPTAIN/CREW LOOKING FOR WINTER FISHERY Owner/operator of PWS salmon seine and gillnet operations looking for winter fishery. Have experience in squid seining, swordfishing, long-lining, setnetting, dungie and tanner crabbing. Contact (907) 253-3692 for more info.

For Sale 39' BHM 1987 New QSM11 350-450 H.P. (200hrs.) New 10Kw gen. (50 hrs.) Split Wheelhouse, Hyd., Puller, 2 Radars, GPS Plotter, Fishfinder, Autopilot, VHF, AM-FM-CD. Ca. Lobster permit, Socal. Nearshore permit, Gillnet permit, Salmon Permit. Boat with permits $295K Boat only $225K. Lobster permit-$95K. Nearshore permit-$50K. Gillnet permit-$10K. After sale of boat only. (805) 290-5370

FOR SALE Two California purse seiners available. Ready to fish. Complete boats with market squid permits and sardine permits. Priced to sell quick at $429,000. Call Don (949) 279-9369. FOR SALE Three California light boats available with or without permits. One boat and permit at only $79,000. One 12 ton brail or light boat permit at only $52,000. All priced to sell. Call Don (949) 279-9369.

WANT TO REACH FISHERMEN? F/V FISH TRAP - Bristol Bay Jet Boat. 2006 Banner Boatworks, twin 6108 Luggers, 330 hp, 13" Doen Jets, 7.5 ton RSW-IMS. Proven design, sleeps 6, open deck, set off the bow or stearn. $310,000. Drift permit available with sale - at market. Dan (907) 399-1884; (907) 235-6612. FOR SALE GMC 653 engine block: rebuilt. Zero hours, $7000.00. Call: (206) 399-1699..

CONTACT DIANE SANDVIK. She knows the fish business and she knows how to help your business.

F/V PROFIT - Bristol Bay Jet Boat: New. New construction, Banner Boatworks. Ready to fish 2010 season. Shallow draft, refrigerated jet boat. Quality construction. John Deere 375 hp. 15" Whitewater Jet. Open deck, spacious engine room, galley. Fishing machine. Shallow, fast, economical. $330,000. Permit available with sale - at market. Dan (907) 399-1884; (907) 235-6612. LONGLINE CLIPS Wanted to buy: Wagner 5" or similar longline clips. (509) 679-0384

THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR FISHERMEN

To reserve space, contact Diane at (206) 962-9315 or dianes@pacificfishing.com WWW.PACIFICFISHING.COM

MAY 2010

PACIFICFISHING 43

What's New... out a fire, launch a life raft, or pull a struggling victim from the water. Training will. At Fremont Maritime, your crew’s emergency preparedness is our primary business.

Fishing Vessel Training

Fremont Maritime Services Enters 3rd Decade Fremont Maritime Services, founded in November 1989, is one of America’s most respected maritime safety and emergency procedures training organizations. Every year, we help thousands of professional mariners prepare for fire, flooding, abandon ship, and man overboard emergencies. Some of the world’s largest towing, cargo, and fishing companies trust us to train their officers and crew. We teach (and students practice) the skills which are essential to successful emergency response. We know that good intentions and wishful thinking won’t help your crew put

Marine Safety and Survival Seminar This intensive three-day program combines classroom periods with practical “hands-on” sessions in the water and on board a training vessel. Training modules are dedicated to Abandoning Ship, Distress Signaling, Cold Water Survival Procedures, Man Overboard Recovery, Flooding Emergencies, Fire Fighting, and Fire Safety. Additionally, students in this class learn how to write Station Bills and use them as a basis for conducting realistic and effective emergency drills. Survival Afloat Seminar The very best in onboard safety and survival training. The Survival Afloat Seminar is a full-day emergency training program held right on board your own vessel. Using actual survival equipment and realistic fire and smoke simulation apparatus, this unique course provides inter-active, hands-on instruction in fundamental principles of fire-fighting, damage control, abandon ship, and manoverboard recovery procedures. Since its inception in June of 1990 the Survival Afloat Seminar has been conducted

Helly Hansen’s reputation for reliable, dependable workwear began with a rogue sea captain looking to keep himself and his crew dry, warm, and comfortable on the surging seas. Over 130 years later, Helly Hansen Workwear continues to ensure the comfort and safety of commercial fishermen and seafood professionals on and off the boat. Recommended for tough wear and tear, the Nusfjord Jacket, available in new yellow and dark green, is comprised of a woven cotton/polyester blend fabric with a heavy duty 600g PVC-coating that is resistant to fish oil, chemicals, cold and mildew. The extra durable .50mm jacket has a double storm flap with snap closure for extreme weather protection, neoprene cuffs at the wrists, and a draw cord hood that is roomy enough to accommodate a helmet or hard hat when added safety is required. The jacket can also be paired with the matching Nusfjord Bib, available in green and our new yellow, for complete coverage from wind, rain and surf. Please visit www.hhworkwear.com for a list of retailers and to view the entire collection of Helly Hansen Workwear.

aboard over 100 vessels in Washington and Alaska. As testimony to its success, the program has received recognition and major sponsorship from the Seattle Fishermen’s Memorial Committee. Sea Survival Seminar One-day program focused on abandon-ship and sea survival procedures for those working in cold northern waters. All seminars can be taught in Seattle or at the location of your choice. What is India Tango? India Tango is the name of Fremont Maritime’s marine firefighting training program. Taken from the International Code of Signals (H.O. 102), the two-letter code “I-T,” whether flown as signal flags, sent by morse key, or flashing lights, translates to the meaning “I’m on Fire.” At Fremont Maritime, we hope you will never have to transmit the code “I-T,” but if you do, we want you to have every tool and skill available to quickly bring the fire under control.

Contact Fremont Maritime: 1019 West Ewing Street., Seattle, WA 98119 Local: (206) 782-4308 Toll Free: (888) STAY LOW FAX: (206) 782-2553 www.fremontmaritime.com E-mail us: info@fremontmaritime.com

“CanaVac Fish Pumps expands into west coast market with damage free systems” Inventive Marine Products has recently experienced significant growth, especially in Alaska. CanaVac is known worldwide for its reliable and damage free fish pumps that keep fish in pristine condition. CanaVac is in the process of replacing dated and obsolete systems aboard many boats as well as supplying offloading systems at existing and new plant locations. Product innovations and high levels of customer service are attracting new sales from California right up to Alaska. Sig Hansen, of the FV Northwestern, has also chosen CanaVac. “Yeah, I’ve had experience with other brands of fish pumps. Their designs were different and it seemed we were always losing time over major maintenance issues once a year. They weren’t nearly as automated and their rigid “flapper style” valves tended to clog up, causing fish damage and interruptions to clear them out.” “The whole experience with Inventive Marine Products and the CanaVac system has been a pleasure, really. Can’t say enough good things about it. I’ll just shut-up and fish, I guess. That’ll be the ultimate testimonial.” When you see one, ask the operator what he or she thinks about the quality and design of Canavac fish pumps. Contact: info@inventivemarine.com or 902-468-2611

“What's New” is a service of Pacific Fishing's Advertising Department. Contact Diane Sandvik at (206) 962-9315 for more information.

44 PACIFICFISHING

MAY 2010

WWW.PACIFICFISHING.COM

ON THE DOCKS Facelift: Skipper Dennis Sturgell Jr. stands in front of F/V Defiant, as the crabber-albacore troller-dragger-longliner begins its transformation from 66 X 22 to 17.5 X 28 feet in February. J&H Boatworks is handling the job. What’s novel is the location: An old seaplane hangar at Astoria’s Tongue Point, which allows all-weather work. Defiant, owned by Mike Haggren, is due to float again in July.

Pebble Mine habitat video: Recent research by Trout Unlimited has identified up to 92 miles of previously undocumented salmon habitat in the Bristol Bay watershed near the Pebble deposit. The group has made a video summarizing its findings. We know it’s a long address, but you can see the video at www.youtube.com/ watch?v=bt1W6ypFpMo&feature. Salmon farm video: A new, short documentary by Damien Gillis — Farmed Salmon Exposed: The Global Reach of the Norwegian Salmon Farming Industry — is now available on-line. The movie also will be playing at a number of film festivals around the world this year, including in Vancouver. The trailer to the film was seen 35,000 times globally, and there have been nearly 20,000 hits on the recently released chapters of the full film. The movie is 23 minutes long, and on YouTube it’s broken into four chapters. See them: www.youtube.com/user/ PureSalmon Morton to be honored: Anti–net pen crusader Alexandra Morton will receive an honorary doctorate in science from Simon Fraser University during spring commencement this year. Morton, a B.C. biologist and activist, worked to link sea lice infestation in wild salmon to fish farming in the Broughton Archipelago. Her work has drawn international attention and challenged both the salmon farm industry and the government officials who regulate it.

who complained the loudest. That city’s newspaper said that Petersburg probably consumed a larger tonnage of snoose per capita than any town in the Western Hemisphere. The fleet was due to sail May 1 for the annual “halibut-snatching” that lasted 60 to 70 days, but the fishermen discovered that the manufacturers, mostly located in Chicago, had been put under a 10-day embargo: This meant that snoose was not being shipped. The Seattle fleet owners put in anguished calls to their local senator, Warren G.

Magnuson. The latter galloped into action. He yipped and howled around the War Production Board so lustily that the embargo was lifted and rush shipments of snoose were sent to the halibut fleet. Thus, the fleet sailed on schedule, and as the Petersburg paper said, “The hardy Norsemen, facing into the sunrise, no longer were chanting in mournful numbers: ‘No snuff, no fish.’” –Pat Roppel, a 50-year resident of Southeast Alaska, reporting in the Capital City Weekly. continued on next page

BELLINGHAM 851 Coho Way 360-734-3336

800-426-8860

SEATTLE

908 N.W. Ballard Way 206-789-8110

CORDOVA

800-647-2135

302 Seafood Lane

907-424-5495

Got snoose? Among the various supply shortages plaguing the fishing fleet in the season of 1945, as World War II wound down, was Copenhagen “snoose.” Undoubtedly all of the Southeast halibut fishermen felt the effects of the shortage, but it was Petersburg’s fishermen WWW.PACIFICFISHING.COM

MAY 2010

PACIFICFISHING 45

ON THE DOCKS

continued from page 45

Seafood winners: The top winners in the 2010 Symphony of Seafood include Alaskan Amber beer-battered cod by Trident Seafoods in the food service category; top-crusted corn tortilla salmon by Aqua Star in the retail category; and wild Alaskan smoked salmon chowder by Ivar’s Seafood in the smoked category. The grand prize, awarded to the product that received the most overall votes, also went to Ivar’s smoked salmon chowder. Lame joke: A black cod fisherman died and went to hell — and it took him three days to realize it. –Contributed by Sherrie Lyon Engine troubleshooting: Washington Sea Grant (WSG) and the Port of Seattle Fishermen’s Terminal are cosponsoring a fourevening Boat Engine Troubleshooting and Maintenance Workshop in May for commercial fishermen and recreational boaters. Participants will learn how to troubleshoot the fuel, electrical, cooling, exhaust, and drive systems of diesel and gas inboards, stern drives, and outboards (two-cycle and four-stroke) and receive instruction in proper maintenance techniques to help prevent the most common problems. The four workshop sessions are scheduled for May 17, 20, 24, and 27, 6-9 p.m., at the Nordby Conference Center, Nordby Building, at Fishermen’s Terminal in Seattle. The fee is $100. Space is limited, so pre-registration is advised. Chinook SE quota: The Alaska Department of Fish and Game announced, under the guidelines of the abundance-based management system of the Pacific Salmon Treaty, the 2010 all-gear Southeast Alaska Chinook salmon harvest quota is 221,800 fish. This year’s number for Southeast Alaska is a slight increase over last year’s preseason allocation of 218,800.

Memories: Captains Jim Wilson (F/V Lady Aleutian), Derrick Ray (new skipper of F/V Cornelia Marie), Dave Lethin (F/V Aleutian Ballad), Rick Quashnick (F/V Maverick), and Harry Lewis (F/V Incentive) have compiled a DVD of memories about the late Phil Harris of Deadliest Catch. You can reserve a copy at dvd@commercialfishermensfestival.com. A “teaser” clip is available to view online at www.commercialfishermens festival.com. Proceeds will go to the Astoria Commercial Fishermen’s Festival, Sept 18-19 this year. Shady Lady, operated by Dean Anderson, 51, of Chignik. “Both vessels were damaged. However, substantial damage was caused to the Shady Lady. No injuries were reported and alcohol does not appear to be a factor. The U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Office was contacted and is investigating this incident. Investigation continues.” The Shady Lady had a bagful of herring. One report indicated the tender had pumped out 150 tons before the fish died and started to sink. The Shady Lady began to roll, and the crew cut away the net, losing an estimated 250 tons of herring. Grounds price was about $500 a ton. That the Shady Lady rolled onto the tender kept the vessel afloat. One observer said the Shady Lady had a “hole big enough to throw a basketball through.” No one got wet. But, undoubtedly, attorneys have been called.

Ouch! The first opening for Sitka Sound herring ended in a stunning fashion for two seiners. As you might expect, there are many versions of what happened, but this comes from Alaska troopers: Fish scientist honored: NOAA scientist Bill Heard of Auke Bay “On 3/24/10 at approximately 17:12 hours, a collision occurred during the Sitka sac roe herring fishery. The seiner F/V Confidence, Laboratories in Juneau has celebrated 50 years in federal fisheries operated by Leroy Johns, 46, of Sitka, collided with the seiner F/V research, mostly in the National Marine Fisheries Service. Scientists at the Auke Bay Laboratories in Juneau tend to have long, productive careers. While Heard has served the longest of anyone currently employed, Dr. Bruce Wing has served 47 years, and Dr. Jack Helle retired in 2008 with 49 years of service. Three Postcard: Yup’ik other recent retirees (Dr. Richard Wilmot, Jerry Taylor, and Alex Eskimo fishermen from Wertheimer) had a combined history in Alaskan salmon research Emmonak — from of 111 years. left, Matilda Oktoyuk, With his boundless energy, constant good humor, consummate Humphrey Keyes, and professionalism, and prodigious output of more than 60 scienEllen Keyes — went to tific publications, Heard has been an inspiration to generations of Harvard a few weeks Alaskan scientists. ago to introduce Yukon Heard’s first assignment in Alaska was in 1958 as a graduate salmon at a forum student at Brooks Lake in Bristol Bay. He returned to Brooks Lake called “For the Health in 1960 with a permanent job as a fisheries biologist studying of It.” Kwik’pak Fisheries sockeye salmon and other fishes in the Naknek River system. and Oldways, a Boston In 1965 his work began in Southeast Alaska at Little Port Walter, non-profit, organized researching pink, coho, and Chinook salmon life histories and stock the event. enhancement. Since the 1980s, he has managed the Marine Salmon Interactions Program at Auke Bay Laboratories, which focuses on stock assessments of salmon within their ecosystems. 46 PACIFICFISHING

MAY 2010

WWW.PACIFICFISHING.COM

K_\ dfY`c\ jXk\cc`k\ ZfdgXep