SUNDAY APRIL 22nd, 2018 AT 2:00PM Followed by coffee and cookies at the Sons of Norway Please join the Petersburg Community as we ask blessings upon our labor, our boats, and our gear and as we remember and honor our past and present fishermen. The flier can be viewed here.
2018 IPHC Suggested Catch Limits
From the January 26, 2018 IPHC News Release: The IPHC did not agree on new Pacific halibut catch limits for 2018, and therefore the catch limits adopted by the IPHC in 2017 remain in place. Both Contracting Parties, Canada and the United States of America, indicated their intention to pursue lower catch limits for 2018 via domestic regulatory processes. The IPHC approved a fishing period (season) of 24 March – 7 November 2018 for the Canadian and U.S. quota-share fisheries. The treaty tribal commercial fisheries and the incidental Pacific halibut fisheries in IPHC Regulatory Area 2A will occur within these dates. In IPHC Regulatory Area 2A, seven 10-hour fishing periods for the non-treaty directed commercial fishery are recommended: 27 June, 11 July, 25 July, 8 August, 22 August, Read more…
Marine Weather Forecasting
The Petersburg Science Series has a guest speaker, Joel Curtis a Meteorologist with the National Weather Service, on Wednesday, January 31 at 7pm in the Borough Assembly Chambers. The public is welcome to attend and the flier is here.
AMSEA Courses in Petersburg
Due to a schedule conflict with the impending crab fishery, AMSEA had to change the date for their upcoming Fishing Vessel Drill Conductor workshop in Petersburg. Please see the attached revised flyer for the upcoming pair of marine safety workshops. The Fishing Vessel Drill Conductor Workshop will now be February 5th from 8am to 6pm and the Fishing Vessel Stability Awareness and Damage Control will now be February 6th from 8am to 2pm. Both classes will be held at the Tides Inn and you can register online at www.amsea.org or by calling (907)747-3287.
Proposed Oil and Gas Leases in Alaska
The Trump Administration released a draft plan for oil and gas lease sales across Alaska’s coast, including Southeast waters in 2023. Nineteen lease sales are proposed under the plan and Bristol Bay is the only area without a planned lease sale. This is a draft plan that will go through a public comment process. Oil companies would bid on the right to drill if their plans pass federal regulations. Here is the National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Draft Proposed Program: Comments on the draft plan can be submitted beginning today until March 9, 2018 at this website
SEAK Board of Fish Meeting Documents
Meeting documents for the upcoming Southeast and Yakutat Board of Fish meeting can be found here. Shellfish issues are scheduled for Jan. 11-14, followed by Finfish Jan. 15-23. Public testimony will be heard in two parts, one during the Shellfish section and one during the Finfish section. The meeting will be steamed live and you can listen in here. Board Support will hold a training course, How To Navigate the Board Process, at 12 noon on the 11th and 15th.
NMFS Alert to Pacific cod Fishermen
NMFS released this alert to Pacific cod fishermen warning of the 80% decrease in catch limits in the Gulf of Alaska for 2018 and how the cut affects various gear types.