Share America
Views on catch shares from some of the nation's oldest and newest programs remain deeply divided
Part 2: West Coast and Alaska
By Melissa Wood
For both a crewman just starting out on deck and an Alaska veteran, one of the problems with catch shares is that they change the nature of what it means to be a fisherman.
All hands
Every so often, I go to our little office galley and don't notice until after I've washed my hands that the paper towel roll is just that — a cardboard roll with no paper towels left on it.
ATY Northeast
Remembering a Beals Island
boatbuilder known for speed
Sometimes a kid wants to build boats badly enough that it is all he can think about. That must have been the case with Ernest Libby Jr. when he wasn't even old enough to drive legally. Fifteen was the cut-off point for kids on Beals Island. Before 15 you had to go to school. Once you scaled that 15th birthday you could quit.
Alaska & Pacific Sardines & P-Cod
Seiners enjoy big jumps in price, quota;
Alaska winter keeps P-cod boats on ice
More money and more sardines have come amid legal battles to restrict the West Coast fishery, and Alaska weather finally settled down enough to let Pacific cod fishermen begin hauling in the harvest from the icy Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea waters.
In a tight spot
From U.S. Coast Guard reports
One rough winter kept Lake Michigan commercial fishing boats in port longer than usual. When vessels did venture out, the catches were meager.
Callifornia crabbing: Here's a fun video shot on the decks of the Majestik while catching Dungeness crab off the coast of northern California.
Alaska fisherman and commercial fisheries activist Kevin Adams was elected chairman at the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute board of directors meeting on May 9 in Anchorage.
The governor-appointed board consists of seven members: five seafood processors and two industry representatives actively engaged in commercial fishing. Adams was appointed to fill a harvester seat by Gov. Frank Murkowski in 2004.
With 38 years of fishing experience in Bristol Bay, Adams has long been an active member in the Alaska fishing industry, ASMI says. He has worked for both the Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation and the Bering Sea Fisherman's Association, and represents Alaska fishermen on numerous boards.
The Northeast Regional Planning Body, a group of state, tribal and federal representatives from New England who are working to implement the National Ocean Policy and address critical New England ocean issues, is holding a series of public meetings in May and June.
The meetings are being held to discuss draft regional ocean planning goals and associated potential actions. The planning body seeks input on these goals and actions. Additional information on the group's progress can be found here.
The meetings will also provide an opportunity to review draft maps and products from initial efforts to gather information on the natural resources and diverse uses of the ocean, including fishing, transportation, energy and infrastructure, aquaculture, and recreation.
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