| | | | From our president….
Hello Trollers,
Strange days. I’m self-quarantined at home while trying to write a note about an ATA Board of Fish (BOF) proposal but having a difficult time not dwelling on the pandemic.
East of my cabin and less than a mile from saltwater Mt. Verstovia and Arrowhead rise 3,000 feet. Thinly stretched along the channel’s edge, flattened at the mountain’s base is the small city of Sitka. Years ago, sailing westward, I noticed how the town vanished while the mountains appeared to get bigger. Sail far enough and even the mountains disappear. I’d like to think in this aspect Covid 19 is something like these mountains, looming, steep, overwhelming, but eventually disappearing behind us.
I hope all of you are safe and experiencing this pandemic as successfully as possible.
As for the Proposal: ATA is submitting to the BOF what we’re calling the Week 41 Proposal. Simply put, under this proposal, instead of the winter troll season beginning on October 11th it will open, region wide, on the first day of ADF&G’s statistical Week 41. Opening day will be on a different date each year. Day one of a statistical week is Sunday.
Stock of Concern (SOC) management cost trollers as much as 6 weeks of winter fishing without allowing the GHL harvest of 45,000 kings. This proposal attempts to recover some winter fishing days and provide a few more valuable winter kings without impacting the SOC.
The Southeast cycle of the BOF meeting is scheduled for next January 4th to the 16th in Ketchikan. This past winter two BOF decisions devastated Kodiak gillnet fisheries (“The Kodiak Massacre”) and created on the Susitna River an entirely new Southcentral Alaska personal use sockeye dipnet fishery. At the upcoming meeting we expect to have to defend our historic but politically depleted king harvest.
We’re plowing through rough water but things look brighter ahead. The king quota is significantly increased over last year’s historic low. ATA, through our great new Director Amy Daugherty, is doing more outreach and membership is up. Remember you need to be on the drag at the Ketchikan BOF meeting so you can Keep On Trolling.
Matt Donohoe | |
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| | AK RESIDENT TROLLERS TAKE HEED $25,000 State fines for Covid-19 violations
Fishing meets the definition of Essential Businesses that can operate during this pandemic. The industry is supporting enforcement measures in order to stay operational. - It is presumed that every resident fisherman including crew has self-quarantined for 14-days before selling fish. You should document your 14-day self-quarantine with a logbook(s) to show in the event that Enforcement questions you. In that logbook you need to record temperatures of yourself and crew twice a day. One thermometer per person is recommended.
- You can have gear in the water for (some of) the 14 days, provided you and any crew are without symptoms.
- Stay on your vessel when off-loading fish. Paperwork will be relayed down to you.
- Maintain 6 feet of distance at all times and avoid public restrooms. See social distancing requirements below.*
- If symptoms arise, contact medical resources via radio Harbormaster recommendation.
*SOCIAL DISTANCING REQUIREMENTS. a. “Social Distancing Requirements” includes maintaining at least six-foot social distancing from other individuals, washing hands with soap and water for at least twenty seconds as frequently as possible or using hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol, covering coughs or sneezes (into the sleeve or elbow, not hands), regularly cleaning high-touch surfaces, and not shaking hands.
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| | NON-RESIDENT TROLLERS TAKE HEED $25,000 State fines for Covid-19 violations
Fishing meets the definition of Essential Businesses that can operate during this pandemic. Returning to Alaska to fish by plane? - You will need to document your 14-day self-quarantine prior to flying up to Alaska. That means you should develop a logbook to show in the event that Enforcement questions you. In that logbook you need to record temperatures of yourself and crew twice a day. More than one thermometer is recommended.
- After flying up to Alaska, you will need to quarantine yourself again for 14 days. This applies to everyone on your vessel. Maintain a logbook to show your due diligence and record your temperatures.
- You can have gear in the water for those 14 days, provided you and any crew are without symptoms.
- Stay on your vessel when off-loading fish. Paperwork will be relayed down to you.
- Maintain 6 feet of distance at all times and avoid public restrooms. See social distancing requirements below.*
- See the form you will need to fill out at the airport and handout.
Returning to Alaska with your fishing vessel? - You will need to document your 14-day self-quarantine prior to docking anywhere in Alaska. That means you should develop a logbook to show in the event that Enforcement questions you. In that logbook you need to record temperatures of yourself and crew/passengers twice daily. One thermometer per person is recommended.
- You can have gear in the water for those 14 days.
- Stay on your vessel when off-loading fish. Paperwork will be relayed down to you.
- Maintain 6 feet of distance at all times and avoid public restrooms. See social distancing requirements below.*
- If symptoms arise, contact medical resources via radio Harbormaster recommendation.
*SOCIAL DISTANCING REQUIREMENTS. a. “Social Distancing Requirements” includes maintaining at least six-foot social distancing from other individuals, washing hands with soap and water for at least twenty seconds as frequently as possible or using hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol, covering coughs or sneezes (into the sleeve or elbow, not hands), regularly cleaning high-touch surfaces, and not shaking hands.
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| | Critical Habitat on Hold By Amy Daugherty As you may recall, ATA was “weighing in” against Critical Habitat (CH) designations in Southeast waters for both the SRKW’s and Mexican Humpback population, both of which are minimally significant statistically.
Background: In compliance with the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) are required to designate critical habitat for each species under its jurisdiction listed under the ESA. Critical habitat is defined as “specific areas within the geographical area occupied by the species at the time of listing, if they contain physical or biological features essential to conservations, and those features may require special management considerations for protection” and “specific areas outside the geographical area occupied by the species if the agency determines that the area itself is essential for conservation.”
ATA does not support CH designations in Southeast waters, nor does our congressional delegation as per their letters. The agencies are clearly reacting, and over-reacting, to pending ESA lawsuits. This and many other agency directives have been put on hold due to Covid-19 restrictions.
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| | State Intervenes in Wild Fish Conservancy Lawsuit By Amy Daugherty
Wild Fish Conservancy (Conservancy), a Seattle-area conservation group, is suing the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) for violating the Endangered Species Act for “overharvest” of Chinook salmon in our Southeast Alaska troll fishery. They say NMFS is jeopardizing the existence of Southern Resident Killer Whales and want to shut down trolling.
The Conservancy argues that an important food supply of the killer whales - the endangered stocks of Chinook salmon originating in Puget Sound, the lower Columbia River, the Willamette River, and Snake River — are being depleted by the commercial troll and sport harvest in Southeast Alaska. It’s widely understood that many chinook salmon harvested in the Gulf of Alaska originate elsewhere — but they spend most of their lives in Alaska waters.
The State of Alaska is now an intervenor in the lawsuit since the Alaska Department of Fish & Game is the lead research agency for Chinook salmon in the Gulf and management of the southeast Alaska Chinook salmon is delegated to the State of Alaska. The Southeast Alaska salmon fishery falls under the purview of the Pacific Salmon Treaty and the state’s management conforms to treaty stipulations.
Chinook are managed under treaty between the United States and Canada, overseen by the Pacific Salmon Commission. Alaska trollers in 2009 took a second 15 percent reduction in the chinook harvest under the treaty. Most recently, we took another 14% percent hit — in part to protect the endangered salmon stocks that the Wild Fish Conservancy is concerned about. That’s right, by way of 3 Treaty negotiations, trollers have taken 44% reduction in their Chinook allocation in the last 21 years.
In large part, the purpose of these Treaty cuts to our fishery were to provide fish to the spawning grounds for stocks listed under the Endangered Species Act in the Pacific Northwest. Trollers only catch them in small numbers as ESA-listed Chinook stocks are considered a rare occurrence in Alaska’s waters according to ADFG scientists. We are thankful that the State has enjoined in the lawsuit to help defend our longstanding and economically important fishery. More on this on our website www.aktrollers.org
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| | Good News for Chum Fishers By Jim Moore At the Statewide Board of Fisheries Meeting in Anchorage, March 7-11, Proposal #277 was adapted with unanimous board support. This action provides the necessary change in regulation that will assist Chum Trolling in West Crawfish during any August Coho Closure.
Background: Last spring ATA, anticipating the strong possibility of Crawfish Chums staging again in West Crawfish, submitted an ACR (agenda change request) petitioning the Board of Fish to allow a proposal to address the issue be taken up at the next Statewide Meeting. Later in the summer as our concerns materialized ATA worked with NSRAA and ADFG clear up to the office of the commissioner to try to find some way for West Crawfish to remain open. You know the results. NSRAA consequently submitted a second ACR requesting the same action and at the Fall BOF work Session the board agreed to allow the proposal to be taken up at the March meeting in Anchorage. Had this not happened the soonest we could have hoped to achieve the necessary change in regulation would have been next January and we could have lost another year!
The original Proposal 277 was amended to allow more area at Windy Passage to turn the fleet around and, after a little pushback from Enforcement was resolved, it was vetted and approved by ADFG. It received the unanimous support of the board with one member recusing himself. Much thanks is due to Steve Reifenstuhl who bird-dogged this through.
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| | Logbook Program Under Development By Jim Moore
On March 24th ATA Board member Mark Roberts and I met with fisheries managers and scientists to develop a new version of the ATA Logbook Program which provided valuable data for research and management (and fishing!) from 1976 through 1991. The session was organized via Zoom technology by Sunny Rice, SeaGrant coordinator and was attended by high level representatives from UofA Fisheries and Oceanography, NOAA, NMFS, USGS, Sitka Sound Science Center, NW Salmon Research, Alaska Ocean Observing System, and ADFG.
The discussion focused on what data would be most useful for research and management and how it might be collected. It was a fruitful meeting with all parties expressing interest, encouragement and direction. There is presently very little data available on ocean conditions in SE Alaska and important studies on forage fish (salmon stomach contents) could prove invaluable in the years ahead. Trollers are uniquely suited for this task and there is a record of observations from our previous efforts which is still being referenced today. Funding does not appear to be a major obstacle.
The old logbook format might get a technology upgrade (an app?) and be expanded to include temperature at depth, salinity, and ph. We are moving forward and gaining momentum with this project so please consider participating and share your thoughts. We are studying what others around the world are doing and our intention is to launch a program that others might want to model. Again, benefits to the fleet could include increased management accuracy and flexibility, a post season overview and analysis of catch and ocean conditions.
We will keep you posted!
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| | The 29th Annual ATA Raffle is underway !!
$20 Each, Purchase Online Here! Grand Prize… $2500 cash 2nd Prize… $1000 cash 3rd Prize… $500 cash
And Much More! | |
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| | The following businesses graciously donated to our 2020 ATA Raffle Thank you Raffle Donators! (we love you!)
Tatsuda's IGA EC Phillips & Son The Landing Hotel & Restaurant City of Craig Lisianski Inlet Café Delta Western Sitka Delta Western Juneau Precision Boarworks Sitka Sounds Seafoods Alaska Glacier Seafoods Silver Horde Tom Pope Seafood Producers Coop Hammer & Wikan of Petersburg
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| | | David Axmaker f/v Marantha Taiga Bell of Juneau f/v Triad Chris Hanson f/v Diamond Lil Mark Hofstad f/v Norseman Gavin Kambak, f/v Jetta D Blair Martens, f/v Dreamgirl Lance McCutcheon f/v Kathleen
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Danya Ortega, crew out of Sitka Walt Pasternak F/V Christy Rob Lynn Steyaart, f/v Honeywilya Wendi Stickwan, f/v Kismet Jeffrey Turner f/v Mirage Randall Wortman, f/v Trumpeter Grizzly Tackle of Hoonah |
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| | Thanks for the Platinum Processor Memberships... | |
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| | | We’re grateful for the support of ATA’s Business Members and encourages your patronage of these fine establishments… | |
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| | Alaska Glacier Seafoods Bruce Weyhrauch City of Craig City of Pelican City of Port Alexander Delta Western E.C. Phillips & Son First Bank Ketchikan Grizzly Tackle Hammer & Wikan Hoonah Cold Storage House of Liquor Icicle Seafoods Jinkai Lfs/Murray Pacific - Sitka Madison Lumber Nerka Sea Frozen Salmon Pacific Pride Alaska Pelican Marine Supply Pelican Marine Supply Petro Alaska |
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Petro Marine Polaris Express Precision Boatworks Port Townsend Shipwrights Qi Hooks Savage Inc, Ketchikan Sea Mart Seafood Producers Coop Seattle Marine Service Auto Parts Sitka Boatwatch Sitka Sound Seafoods Southeast Pilots Timber & Marine Supply Tongass Trading Tonka Fisheries Triad Fisheries Union Machine Shop Yakobi Fisheries Yakutat Seafoods |
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| | IS YOUR MEMBERSHIP CURRENT?
Ballots are going out soon for our ATA Board of Director elections
Only members in good standing will receive ballots.
Thank you for keeping your membership current and check your mailbox. |
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| | New Paypal Option: Become or Renew Membership We now have a new way to become or renew your membership with Paypal and major credit cards. We appreciate every membership and donation we receive. Thank you.Renew or become a member.Or give us a call with your credit card, (907) 586.9400 | |
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