Commercial fishing is a bedrock industry in Alaska, and has been for more than a century. Every year scores of fishermen net millions of migrating salmon, challenge the icy Bering Sea to trap king crabs, lay miles and miles of baited hooks for halibut, and scoop up enough pollock for a zillion fish sticks. And when fishermen aren't out fishing, they're usually talking about fishing. That's what this blog is all about. Cast your net here for commercial fishing news and notes. And if you've got a bone to pick, post a comment.
About me:
I've pounded the commercial fishing beat for the Anchorage Daily News since 1999. I hail originally from Tennessee. I've never fished commercially, but I've spent much time as a journalist aboard boats and inside fish-processing plants. Of course, I'm a big consumer of Alaska seafood. One of my favorites: canned sockeye.
Contact Wesley Loy at wloy@adn.com.
Salmon task force starts work today - 5/22/2008 1:28 am
Glacier confirms ship deal, with Japanese twist - 5/22/2008 12:18 am
Slow start for Copper River salmon - 5/17/2008 8:23 am
Where's The Highliner? - 5/15/2008 8:50 am
Cook Inlet Salmon Task Force now set - 5/2/2008 5:30 pm
Wrangell Seafoods: Arbitrator favored us - 4/25/2008 4:34 pm
Crewman dies on Jubilee boat - 4/25/2008 1:07 pm
Icicle dives deeper into salmon farming - 4/24/2008 4:43 pm
Lynden buys Anchorage seafood shipper - 4/23/2008 7:49 pm
Cook Inlet task force coming together - 4/22/2008 8:13 pm
Fish Board appointees confirmed - 4/13/2008 2:28 am
Stage set for Cook Inlet brawl - 4/12/2008 1:32 am
Big deal coming in factory trawl fleet? - 4/10/2008 12:57 pm
EPA nails another processor - 4/10/2008 10:54 am
Sen. Green wins salmon vote - 4/7/2008 2:36 pm
Legislature jumps into Cook Inlet fish fight - 4/7/2008 2:33 pm
Southeast king salmon take a dive - 4/5/2008 1:28 am
Alaska Ranger hearings deliver high drama - 4/3/2008 4:59 pm
Should we rip up crab rationalization? - 4/3/2008 3:37 pm
Washington watch - 4/2/2008 12:24 pm
‘Draining Adak for cod’ - 3/31/2008 1:21 pm
Sitka jackpot – half-million dollars in half-hour - 3/28/2008 11:14 am
MAY 22, 2008 - 1:28 AM
The Cook Inlet Salmon Task Force will hold its first hearing today in Soldotna, and you can listen in by clicking here.
The state Department of Fish and Game will make a presentation at 3 p.m., followed by public testimony at 6 p.m.
The task force consists of 10 state legislators who will examine fishing conflicts and weak runs in some parts of the Inlet.
MAY 22, 2008 - 12:18 AM
I trust you recall our recent report about Glacier Fish Co. possibly acquiring the factory trawler Alaska Ocean (The Highliner, April 10).
Well, the companies involved now say they have a deal.
They're not disclosing how much Glacier will give for the Alaska Ocean.
But the deal involves Japanese conglomerate Nippon Suisan Kaisha, part owner of the trawler, buying into Glacier for $26.3 million, according to this press release.
Here’s a news story:
Japanese company invests in Seattle’s Glacier Fish
MAY 17, 2008 - 8:23 AM
Here's a little summary from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game on the Copper River season opener.
Anybody heard anything about prices?
The Copper River District was opened to fishing for a 12-hour fishing period on May 15. This was the first fishing period of the 2008 season. The next opening for the Copper River District will be Monday, May 19 for a 12-hour fishing period.
Stormy seas hampered fishing effort significantly with only 150 deliveries reported. Typically there are over 500 deliveries during the first opening of the season.
The preliminary harvest estimate from the first opening was 2,400 sockeye and 800 Chinook salmon. The anticipated harvest from the first opening was 17,105 sockeye and 5,673 Chinook salmon. The 5-year harvest average was 19,130 sockeye and 3,831 Chinook salmon.
MAY 15, 2008 - 8:50 AM
Sorry to be silent for so long.
I'm touring The Netherlands and Belgium until the middle of next week.
That means my return to Anchorage should be just about right to get some fresh Copper River salmon. Hope today's season opener goes safely on the water for all the gillnetters.
As for my vacation, I can report these Europeans really cherish their fish. I've been feasting on herring, smoked eel and, I confess, farmed Norwegian salmon.
Talk with you again soon!
MAY 2, 2008 - 5:30 PM
Five state senators have been named to serve on the Cook Inlet Salmon Task Force, joining the five House members previously named (The Highliner, April 22).
The five senators are:
Sen. Lyda Green, R-Wasilla
Sen. Charlie Huggins, R-Wasilla
Sen. Lesil McGuire, R-Anchorage
Sen. Bill Wielechowski, D-Anchorage
Sen. Tom Wagoner, R-Kenai
No word yet on when the warfare, uh, the hearings will begin.
Click here for a press release.
APRIL 25, 2008 - 4:34 PM
The Highliner isn't too sure what the conflict was all about, but Wrangell Seafoods Inc. is claiming a "substantial" financial victory.
Here's the company's press release:
Wrangell Seafoods
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WRANGELL, Alaska, April 24, 2008 – Wrangell Seafoods, Inc. announced today that arbitrator Thomas Brewer of The American Arbitration Association entered a substantial Interim Award in Wrangell Seafoods’ favor as damages for breach of contract by two seafood marketers. The interim award found Royal Greenland U.S. and Ed Bahrt and Associates, LLC jointly and severally liable to Wrangell Seafoods for the sum awarded. The Award also provided for further relief for attorneys’ fees and litigation costs in an amount to be determined in future proceedings.
APRIL 25, 2008 - 1:07 PM
This just in from the U.S. Coast Guard:
U.S. Coast Guard 17th District
Press Release
April 25, 2008
COAST GUARD INVESTIGATING FATALITY AT SEA
JUNEAU, Alaska – The Coast Guard is currently investigating a fatality at sea, which occurred yesterday onboard the fishing vessel (F/V) Zenith approximately 72 miles southeast of False Pass.
A 39-year-old man was repairing an apparent gas leak when fellow crew members found him unconscious. After finding the man unconscious the vessel contacted the Coast Guard at approximately 8 p.m. yesterday evening.
Attempts to resuscitate the man failed and he was pronounced deceased by Coast Guard flight surgeon sometime after notification.
APRIL 24, 2008 - 4:43 PM
Icicle Seafoods Inc., sold last year to a San Francisco private equity firm, has just announced another big business deal.
Here's the press release:
ICICLE SEAFOODS TO ACQUIRE SMOKI FOODS
Transaction Will Provide Substantially Expanded Access to Seafood Resources and Broader and Deeper Product Mix
SEATTLE, Washington, April 24, 2008 – Icicle Seafoods, Inc., a diversified seafood harvesting and processing company, today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Smoki Foods, a processor of fresh and frozen seafood, along with its subsidiaries, American Gold Seafoods, the only US owned and operated salmon farming company, and Cypress Island Seafoods, a processing plant in Blaine, Washington.
APRIL 23, 2008 - 7:49 PM
Here's some news from a few days back you might have missed.
Lynden International to Acquire Movers, Inc. in Anchorage
ANCHORAGE, Alaska, April 9 (PRNewswire) – Lynden International acquired the Anchorage division of seafood logistics company Movers, Inc. on April 1. Together, the companies will provide a broad spectrum of services for the Alaska seafood industry.
Lynden gains the expertise of Movers, Inc.'s niche service in the seafood market while Movers, Inc. customers benefit from opportunities now available through Lynden's worldwide network of locations. The Seattle office of Movers, Inc. will continue to operate under current ownership, and the company name will be retained in Anchorage after the acquisition.
APRIL 22, 2008 - 8:13 PM
Sorry to stay silent for so long, friends.
I’ve finally returned to Anchorage from my sojourn in Juneau and it’s taken me some time to, um, get my act together.
Here’s some news that might be of interest.
The Alaska Legislature, as you will recall, resolved to create a salmon task force to review conservation and other issues in Cook Inlet (The Highliner, April 12).
Five state senators and five representatives will serve on the task force.
We’re still waiting on Senate President Lyda Green, a Wasilla Republican and one of the main task force proponents, to name her members.
APRIL 13, 2008 - 2:28 AM
Last night the Legislature confirmed Mel Morris, John Jensen and William Brown for seats on the Alaska Board of Fisheries (The Highliner, March 12).
APRIL 12, 2008 - 1:32 AM
The Alaska House of Representatives last night voted 28-12 to form a Cook Inlet Salmon Task Force (The Highliner, April 7).
That means the measure has now passed the full Legislature and we likely can expect a long summer of fighting over the fate of Alaska's favorite fishing hole.
I wish I could supply more details from the House floor debate, but I was chasing other stories on my reporting assignment here in Juneau.
APRIL 10, 2008 - 12:57 PM
The very top of the Alaska commercial fishing food chain is the factory trawl fleet – ships that catch Bering Sea pollock and process them into base goods that ultimately show up in the grocery store as fish sticks or imitation crab meat.
Under federal law, only 19 factory trawlers can target pollock, the largest U.S. fishery by weight and one of its most valuable.
We’ve heard for years the fleet was ripe for consolidation, and now comes word of a possible deal for the Alaska Ocean, a 376-foot ship based in Anacortes, Wash. For a photo and specs, click here.
APRIL 10, 2008 - 10:54 AM
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has fined another Alaska fish processor for alleged pollution violations.
This time it’s Leader Creek Fisheries, which processes Bristol Bay salmon.
While not among the largest of the bay’s processors, it has received a lot of attention for innovation. Its fishermen are required to cool their catch, and the company has been heavily involved in packing salmon fillets rather than canning fish or freezing them whole.
We’ve seen a lot of these EPA pollution cases in recent years against most of the major Alaska fish processors.
Here’s the news release:
APRIL 7, 2008 - 2:36 PM
After a vigorous floor debate, the Alaska Senate has just voted 11-8 to pass a resolution creating a legislative task force to study Cook Inlet salmon fisheries.
Senate President Lyda Green, R-Wasilla, and other Mat-Su lawmakers want the task force because they believe salmon are disappearing from their streams. They suspect commercial fishermen working farther south in the Inlet are to blame.
Senate Concurrent Resolution 21 would establish a task force made up of five senators and five House members. The task force would hold meetings and report back to the Legislature by the start of the 2009 session.
APRIL 7, 2008 - 2:33 PM
For those who might have missed it, here's the front-page story we published in this morning's newspaper:
Mat-Su, Kenai fish war brewing
SPORT VS. COMMERCIAL: Legislators want more salmon for northern Inlet.
By WESLEY LOY
wloy@adn.com
JUNEAU – Mat-Su legislators who say people in their area are getting shortchanged on salmon are pushing measures that could revolutionize fishery management in Cook Inlet, the state's most popular fishing hole.
The lawmakers have rolled out a package of legislation to tilt the balance of power in the Inlet from commercial fishermen to sport anglers and other users. And with a week left in the legislative session, they're hoping to land something big.
APRIL 5, 2008 - 1:28 AM
Wrangell gillnetter Keith Anundi with a Stikine River king salmon netted a couple of seasons ago. Wesley Loy photo
Looks like the catch limit on those magnificent Southeast Alaska king salmon is going way down this year.
Here's the press release:
Alaska Department of Fish and Game
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 4, 2008
ADF&G Announces 2008 Southeast Alaska Chinook Salmon Quota
JUNEAU – The Alaska Department of Fish and Game today announced that under the guidelines of the abundance-based management system of the Pacific Salmon Treaty, this year’s all-gear Southeast Alaska Chinook salmon harvest quota is 170,000 fish. This is a decrease of 159,400 fish from last year’s quota, and is the lowest catch level since 2000.
APRIL 3, 2008 - 4:59 PM
A federal board investigating the Easter sinking of the Bering Sea fishing boat Alaska Ranger, which took five lives, today finished a week of hearings in Dutch Harbor.
The hearings with crewmen, rescuers and others have drawn out remarkable stories of desperation, heroism as well as possible drinking aboard the doomed boat.
The U.S. Coast Guard has been producing highly detailed reports from these sometimes tearful hearings. The Day Six installment is below, and it's a pretty riveting read.
To read more, click here.
APRIL 3, 2008 - 3:37 PM
John Sackton, the Massachusetts editor and publisher of Seafood.com News, is in Anchorage attending the North Pacific Fishery Management Council.
He’s kindly allowed me to republish the following report from his site.
The Highliner neither endorses nor rejects these views. He only knows it’s a good, provocative read.
N. Pacific council takes first step to cut processor shares in the crab rationalization program
SEAFOOD.COM NEWS by John Sackton (News Analysis) – April 3, 2008 – In medical school young doctors are often admonished “First do no Harm,” based on the Latin phrase Primum non nocere. The N. pacific council may be wise to keep this in mind as they take steps to radically alter the crab rationalization program.
APRIL 2, 2008 - 12:24 PM
U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens and the Senate Commerce Committee are holding a hearing tomorrow morning on international fisheries.
Here's a press release:
Ted Stevens
United States Senator for Alaska
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 2, 2008
Alaskans to Testify at U.S. Senate Hearing on International Fisheries
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Three Alaskans have accepted an invitation from Senator Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) and the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation to testify at a hearing, “International Fisheries: Management and Enforcement.” It will begin at 10:00 a.m. EST this Thursday, April 3, 2008 in room 253 of the Russell Senate Office Building.
Important warning about e-mails purporting to be from the adn.com staff.
© Copyright 2008, The Anchorage Daily News, a subsidiary of The McClatchy Company 
Contact Us | Newsroom Contacts | Communication Forms | Subscriptions | Advertising | Terms of Use
Daily News Jobs | RSS Feeds | ADN Store | Newspapers in Education | Privacy Agreement
