Trollers take a hit

Southeast Alaska trollers have a 2017 quota of 154,880 treaty Chinook salmon, a big decline from last year's 263,197.

New skipper at PWSAC

Prince William Sound Aquaculture Corp. has named Timothy Joyce as interim general manager. Here's the press release.

Council politics

Organizations representing the trawl industry are most upset with Washington Gov. Jay Inslee for nominating only longliners for a seat on the North Pacific Fishery Management Council.

Permits for lease

As the legislative session lumbers on in Juneau, an interesting bill has appeared that would make a big change in how people gain entry to Alaska's commercial fisheries.

House Bill 188, sponsored by Rep. Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins, D-Sitka, would allow for the establishment of "regional fisheries trusts."

These trusts could hold fishery permits and lease them to Alaska resident fishermen "for a limited period of time," Kreiss-Tomkins says in his sponsor statement for the bill.

HB 188 aims to alleviate the problem of permits leaving rural Alaska communities, as well as the rising price of entering the fisheries.

The bill appears to be a modified version of the bill Kreiss-Tomkins offered last year to establish "regional community permit banks."

A big year for salmon?

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game is projecting a 2017 commercial salmon catch of more than 204 million fish.

That would far exceed the 113 million taken last year, when pink salmon runs disappointed in key areas.

Here's the statewide forecast.

Sitka herring recap

The Sitka Sound sac roe herring fishery has come and gone, and it appears to have been a good season for seiners and processors.

The industry achieved a full harvest of 14,600 tons, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game said today in an announcement closing the fishery.

Deckboss heard no reports this year of vessel collisions or other nastiness in the notoriously feisty fishery.

We've also heard nothing at all about prices paid for herring. If you have details, please share!

Cordova hatchery chief to retire

David Reggiani, general manager of Prince William Sound Aquaculture Corp., is retiring.

PWSAC, based in Cordova, operates major hatcheries producing millions of pink and other salmon.