Category: Petersburg Events

On Wednesday, May 10th, from 4:00-7:00 p.m. in the Petersburg Borough Assembly Chambers NMFS is holding public hearing on the proposed rule to list sunflower sea stars as ‘threatened’ under the Endangered Species Act. The ESA defines a threatened species as likely to become endangered in all or a portion of its range within the foreseeable future. Defines endangered as any species which is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range. Implications An ESA listing would mean NMFS will assume primary management authority for the species, with potential consequences for Alaska’s economy such as possible restrictions on state-managed fisheries. Any fishery with bycatch of sunflower sea stars could be impacted. This includes pots, nets, Read more…

Wednesday, May 10th from 4:00-7:00 p.m. the National Marine Fisheries Service will be holding a listening session in the Petersburg Borough Assembly Chambers regarding their proposed listing of the sunflower seastar (Pycnopodia helianthoides) as ‘threatened’ under the Endangered Species Act. An additional listening session will be held in Kodiak Tuesday, May 2nd from 4:00-7:00 p.m. at the Western Kodiak Inn Harbor Room. NMFS’s final decision could remain unchanged from the proposal to list the species as “threatened,” but a listing as “endangered” is possible, depending on the information the agency receives during the review. Although bycatch in fisheries is a minor threat to the species, intentional and “incidental take”—unintentional catch, harm, or harassment of a Read more…

NMFS will be traveling to Petersburg to hold a Workshop on Fisheries Resilience in Petersburg. Everyone is encouraged to join Thursday, February 2nd at 5:00 p.m. in the Borough Assembly Chambers. Understanding what makes fishing communities resilient is critical for shaping effective policies, and may be distinct across Alaska’s geographically isolated coastal communities. Researchers with NOAA fisheries are holding workshops across Gulf of Alaska communities to understand what fishermen are experiencing on the water, how they are responding to changes, and what they and their communities need for long-term resilience. Please come lend your voice to this conversation so that we may work to amplify your voices locally, regionally, and nationally. View the flier here. Read more…

There will be a public hearing held by NOAA concerning the Humpback Whale critical habitat designation in Petersburg from 4pm-7pm January 6th, in the Petersburg Borough Assembly Chambers. The meeting will begin with a brief presentation by NOAA Fisheries giving an overview of critical habitat under the Endangered Species Act and an opportunity for the public to provide oral comments on the record regarding the proposed designation. We strongly encourage you to attend the meeting and provide comments. If you are uncomfortable with public speaking, please attend the public hearing and submit written comments here.  To date, NOAA has heard strong support for the critical habitat designation from NGOs. It is important they hear from commercial fishermen who may be affected by this Read more…

There will be a public meeting with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), tomorrow, December 3rd at 3:00pm in the Assembly Chambers regarding the South Harbor Dredge Project. The Project Partnership Agreement will be reviewed and there will be time for questions and answers.

The Coast Guard will be in Petersburg from 1pm Tuesday, may 14th through 1pm Friday, May 17th to conduct Dockside Exams. The harbor master’s office has a sign-up sheet. And you can visit www.fishafewest.info for a checklist of requirements for vessels.