Feds declare disaster for pink salmon fisheries

Here's the press release.

More on those tapeworms

Evidently sensing a potential crisis, the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute has posted a two-part response to reports of the discovery of a type of tapeworm in wild Alaska salmon.

Press release
Alaska salmon Q&A

Here is the scientific article that got this parasitic PR problem started.

Tapeworms in wild Alaska salmon?

Check out this CNN report.

He's starting to become a big fish

Alaska's junior U.S. senator, Dan Sullivan, has been named chairman of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard.

Big news from big trawl company

American Seafoods has named a new CEO.

Court battle over Cook Inlet salmon continues

Two interesting documents were filed yesterday in federal court in Alaska.

UCIDA motion to vacate Amendment 12

Declaration of Erik Huebsch

For background, here's a news item from the November 2016 issue of Pacific Fishing magazine:

Cook Inlet salmon ruling

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Sept. 21 ruled in favor of United Cook Inlet Drift Association (UCIDA) and Cook Inlet Fishermen’s Fund in a case concerning Cook Inlet salmon management.

The two groups sued the federal government in 2013 and appealed after a loss in the district court.

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council has jurisdiction over the federal waters of Cook Inlet, the 9th Circuit opinion said.

In 2010, the council began a comprehensive review of the salmon fishery management plan (FMP), and the next year voted unanimously to remove Cook Inlet from the salmon FMP. The government argued in court that the removal amounted to delegation of Cook Inlet to the state of Alaska, which had long managed the inlet’s salmon fisheries.

UCIDA and its co-plaintiff opposed implementation of the council’s action. They have problems with the state’s management of Cook Inlet salmon, saying commercial sockeye catches have suffered over the years.

The 9th Circuit remanded the case to the district court.

Please spare Area 2C!

The International Pacific Halibut Commission has posted proposals for this year's catch limits.

Of particular note is a proposal from a group of fishing associations and processors who say, in part: "Reductions in Area 2C catch limits are not justified by current data or trends."

Area 2C encompasses Southeast Alaska.

Read the full proposal here.

The commission will consider the proposals and set the year's catch limits at its annual meeting Jan. 23-27 in Victoria, British Columbia.