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• Bulk Rate U.S. Postage PAID Anchorage, Alaska Permit No. 179

February 1988 Volume 8 Number 4

Published by the Bering Sea Fishermen's Assn., 725 Christensen Dr., Anchorage, AK 99501

Western Alaskan fishermen look to state for assistance the delta - Howard Amos of ... What is the state going to do Mekoryuk; Victor Kanrilak Sr. of by Jude Henzler

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for western Alaskan fishermen? That is the question being asked by many local fishermen whose cooperative projects were cut in the wake of recent federally directed fisheries management decisions. At its December 1987 meeting, the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council, the majority of whose members are Alaskans, allocated the entire allowable catch of Pacific cod and other bottomfish species to American and joint venture harvesters. This action by the Council effectively killed a cod market scheduled with the Japaneseowned North Pacific Longline Association to be in place this spring for village fishermen located in the Kuskokwim Bay, Nelson Island and Nunivak Island ~ ..;:'0 -. areas. The Council action also Americanjishermen are expecting to take the total 1988 catchojcod, virtually killed a plan for pollock and other bottomjish in U.S. waters. Above arejishermen on villagers to purchase larger a U.S. trawler working in ajoint venture in the Bering Sea. fishing boats with the help of loans guaranteed by the fishermen in Norton Sound. The to the Commissioner of the AlasJapanese. projects were initiated under the ka Department of Fish & Game. Overall, the Japanese Long- Council's "fish and chips" policy Western Alaskan fishermen liners had planned to undertake where foreign fish allocations are complained bitterly to the Goversix projects in 1988 to aid the made on the basis of their invest- nor when deals they had negodomestic industry, including: 1) ment in the domestic industry. tiated with the Japanese Longa cod market in Japan for Ameri- The bottom line is the liners evaporated because the can fishermen; 2) ajoint venture Japanese Longliners require the North Pacific Council voted to market for cod and a $2.3 million cod allocation to be able to afford eliminate foreign fish allocations. boat loan for Kuskokwim delta running these projects - no fish, The Governor's representatives fishermen; 3) technical assis- no deal! wanted to gather facts and find tance and guaranteed boat loans On Thesday, February 2, 1988, out first hand exactly what effect for Atka fishermen; 4) herring commercial fishermen from six the recent denial of an allocation markets for Bristol Bay gillnet- Yukon/Kuskokwim delta villages had on the local commercial fishters; 5) pink salmon markets for met in Bethel with Rod Swope, ermen and what the state may be Unalakleet fishermen; and 6) Governor Cowper's Special Assis- able to do to fill the void. pink salmon markets for KEG tant, and Dave Benton, assistant Six frustrated fishermen from

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Absence ofdomestic observers will hurtfisheries by Peter Craig.

A bright light on Alaska's economic horizon is the Americanization of the groundfish fisheries in the Bering Sea and the Gulf of Alaska. Due to the Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management Act, this fishery is changing from a foreign to a U.S. enterprise. By 1988 foreign harvests have been virtually phased out and joint U.S.-foreign ventures are on the wane. Almost half of the harvestable portion of this vast renewable resource will be harvested and processed by U.S. fishermen in 1988. Projections beyond 1988 are speculative, but the trend is clear. Within the next few years, the fishery will complete the transition to U.S. fishermen, and many segments of Alaska's economy will benefit greatly. At the same time, however, we are unfortunately witnessing the collapse of a vital part of the data collection system upon which the management of this fishery depends. Some types of data can on-

Iy be obtained by an on-board observer program. For example, the "bycatch" rate of non-target but otherwise fully utilized species (salmon, king crab, Tanner crab, halibut, herring) can be determined only by a scientific technician who actually inspects fish catches as the nets come aboard ship. Because the fishermen are not allowed to retain these prohibited species on their boats, these fish are discarded at sea and thus cannot be accounted for when the ship returns to shore. Documentation of bycatch rates is essential to minimize adverse impacts to species already allocated to other Alaskan fisheries. The problem is that monitoring of the groundfish fishery by means of an observer program has declined drastically. From an overall coverage of about 85% of the foreign and joint venture segments of the fishery, observer coverage has plummeted in 1988 because only about 1-3% of the See Observers. page 8

Thnunak; Thomas Jumbo of Nightmute; Joe Paniyak of Chevak; John Erick of Chefornak; and Teddy Kungstun of Kipnuk - spent most of the day informing the Governor's representatives of the blow they were dealt by the decision of the North Pacific Council. In tum, these six listened for any real information regarding what the State of Alaska will do to replace vanished cod markets and lost opportunity for loan guarantees to b6.y boats adequate to fish the waters off Nunivak Island and Kuskokwim Bay. The fishermen made it known that the markets the Japanese Longliners had arranged for this coming season and the boat loan guarantees were the best opportunities that the local fishermen ever had to make a better living within their communities, and they liked the deal the Longliners had offered them. Both representatives understood the significance of what happened, but advised the fishermen that the Japanese were probably out of the picture for now and not likely to come back in time to salvage this season- in fact, it is likely that the Japanese Longliners may never come back into the picture. Neither Swope nor Benton made any promises about what the state would do, but said they would take some steps forward to help. Last week, Governor Cowper attended a meeting of Pacific See Frustratedfishermen. page 8

To Fish or FarlD? by Chip Thoma The complex iss"e of regulated mariculture in l.laska will be decided by the Legislature within the next few months. Depending on the outcome, fishermen throughout the state could see new attempts by the private sector to establish floating fish farms for growing salmon. The most controversial proposal is to allow the pen-rearing of Pacific salmon, primarily kings and coho. Whether Alask