"It's been about a week since we got the first red and we're catching more and more each time someone goes out," Betty Lind, a subsistence fisherman, told the Mirror from her home in Karluk last week. "The last people who went out got 24 reds and one king," Lind said, adding, "We always get reds in May." Melvin Squartsoff in Port Lions told the Mirror fish are definitely ahead of schedule there, too. "We usually figure on catching fish about Mother's Day weekend," between May 5 and 8, Squartsoff said, but fishermen in Port Lions have been catching them since the first of the month.
Red and silver salmon in the Port Lions area are returning to the Crescent Lake drainage system, one of several enhanced systems on Kodiak where the Kodiak Regional Aquaculture Association releases fingerlings. Fish returning to enhanced systems like Crescent Lake are dedicated for harvest only. Crescent Lake is a barren system, John Malloy, executive director of KRAA explained. Fish cannot bypass the waterfall there and get to the lake to spawn.
Early run reds seem to be coming in early like herring did at the beginning of the sac roe fishery this spring, Kevin Brennan, biologist with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, said in the article.
"When fish showed up in Kodiak, there were ripe fish (fish with mature roe) in most areas by April 15," Brennan said. This was five to 10 days early, maybe even more, he added.
Longliners can once again take advantage of free streamer lines used for seabird avoidance when setting gear. In 2000, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commis-sion and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries Service, working in conjunction with Washington Sea Grant, developed and distributed free streamer lines made of 3/8-inch blue steel poly to Alaska longliners. More than 4,000 have been distributed and 1,000 are still available. In addition, Mark Lundsten and the Alaska Sea Grant Marine Advisory Program designed and tested three additional streamer line models. These lines are made of 3/16-inch poly, a lighter material that performs better on smaller vessels and on those that set gear more slowly. These lighter lines are now also available for free through the same cooperative effort. Streamer line requests will be filled in the order that they are received until all of the available lines are distributed, and can be gotten locally through the Auction Block at 770 Fish Dock Road.
In order to reduce bycatch of short-tailed albatross and other seabirds, federal and state regulations now require most longline vessels to use bird avoidance devices and techniques when longline fishing in state and federal waters off Alaska. Seabird avoidance requirements vary depending on your vessel length, area fished, type of gear used and the superstructure of your vessel. For your specific requirements, see the NOAA Fisheries Service seabird Web site at www.fakr.noaa.gov/protectedresources/seabirds/guide.htm, or contact your local NOAA Fisheries Enforcement office at 235-2337. Longliners also are required to have a Seabird Avoidance Plan available onboard for inspection by National Marine Fisheries Service officers. These also are available at the NOAA Fisheries Web site or through the local NMFS office. NMFS is a division of NOAA Fisheries.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is seeking applicants to fill vacancies on its 15-member Science Advisory Board. The board advises the NOAA administrator on long-and short-term strategies for research, education and application of science to resource management and environmental assessment and prediction.
"This is an opportunity to help guide NOAA's scientific direction, provide leadership and ensure that the agency has a complete and accurate understanding of scientific issues critical to its mission," said retired Navy Vice Admiral Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr., Ph.D., undersecretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator, in a press release. As a federal advisory committee, the board's membership is required to contain a balance of viewpoints, as well as represent various geographic regions of the country and diverse sectors, including industry, academia, science and the general public. Members are appointed by the NOAA administrator and serve three-year terms. The board meets three times a year, exclusive of working groups, subcommittee and task force meetings. Members must be willing to participate in periodic reviews of the use of science in NOAA laboratories and programs. Applications must be received by June 8. More information is available by contacting the NOAA Science Advisory Board at (301) 713-9121, or by e-mail at sab@www. sab.noaa.gov.
Cristy Fry has commercial fished in Homer since 1978 and also has designed and built gear for the industry. She currently longlines for halibut and sablefish, and gillnets salmon in Upper Cook Inlet aboard the F/V Realist.
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