Murkowski, during a hearing of the Senate Environment and Public Work's Subcommittee on Fish, Wildlife and Water, said Alaska, so far, has largely escaped the invasion of exotic species that is threatening the nation's wildlife and environment. But she said work needs to continue on new technologies and practices to stop the import of invasive species.
She noted one promising example of using technology to stop invasive species is being perfected in Alaska where a new method of introducing ozone into ballast water is killing invasive species in the holds of oil tankers coming into Prince William Sound to pick up oil at the trans-Alaska pipeline's Valdez terminal. While she praised the oil industry for pioneering the technology to protect the Sound, she noted that the state is far from safe from an invasion of non-native species.
For example, she noted:
That Northern Pike, which has been introduced illegally into areas where it is not native, is becoming a serious threat to native Pacific salmon and other fish.
That the European green crab, which has become established in California, is moving steadily north, having now been found north of Vancouver Island. The crab, although small, is highly aggressive and preys on juveniles of other crab species, as well as on clams, mussels, sea urchins and other fish. In Alaska, the crab could threaten Alaska king, Dungeness and Tanner crab stocks, if no means to check its advance is found.
That the Chinese mitten crab, which also has become established in San Francisco Bay, is moving northward, some having been found near the Columbia River. The crab would threaten a wide variety of Alaska fish because it moves hundreds of miles up rivers to spawn.But Murkowski said her leading concern is the escape of pen-reared Atlantic salmon from fish farms in British Columbia.
"Atlantic salmon escaping from salmon farms in other areas also have been found in streams from Southeast Alaska to Prince William Sound and in ocean waters as far north as the Bering Sea. Natural reproduction of escaped Atlantic salmon has been observed in British Columbia."It is possible this species could find a foothold in Alaska and that would pose a serious threat to native stocks. This is my leading cause for concern because Atlantic salmon can compete for habitat with our wild, native salmon. We need a national plan of attack against this invasive species," said Murkowski, who noted published estimates that as many as 1 million Atlantic salmon escape from British Columbia farms yearly to enter the ocean environment.
Alaska is pushing wild salmon as a healthy food alternative to beef and eggs.
Wild, sustainable and chock full of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, the fish has much to offer. That's the message the state wants to send to consumers as it makes plans for a multimillion-dollar advertising campaign aimed at moving out the glut of canned salmon and building the Alaska salmon brand name. The campaign is part of the $50 million salmon industry revitalization strategy Gov. Frank Murkowski announced in April.
It's still unclear how much of the money will go toward advertising, but Margy Johnson, director of international trade and market development at the state Department of Community and Economic Development, told the Juneau Empire it could be about $18 million.
Half the money will be devoted to generic marketing of Alaska salmon, and the other half will go to processors for their own marketing programs in the form of matching grants.
"I think we have a very unique opportunity there because the farm-raised fish is making everyone squeamish right now," Johnson said. "Branding Alaska salmon has long been a goal and it's good for the entire state."
The state has worked to create an Alaska seafood brand for two decades, since the establishment of the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute. The goal has been to give Alaska seafood the same visibility enjoyed by generic brands such as pork ("the other white meat"), Idaho potatoes and Florida citrus.
For more than two decades Petersburg's tent city has been a cheap and well known summer camping roost for seasonal cannery workers, and, more recently, adventurous tourists.
But it won't be opening this year. City officials say the cost is too high and the return too low, according to the Associated Press.
"We had initially thought since we had the money in the budget we could open it for the first part of the year, because it falls in this current fiscal year," Ryan McFarland, the city's parks and recreation director told KFSK radio. "However, it doesn't make much sense to offer people housing and then have to kick them out. And as far as publicity's sake it would be confusing. 'Yeah, that first part of the summer we have housing and that second half we don't.'"
Consisting of a covered area, restrooms, tent pads and frames in the muskeg between the airport and Sandy Beach Park, tent city has been a cheap summertime housing option since 1980. That's when the city decided to build the camping spot for transient workers looking for a job in Petersburg's canneries.
Until recent years, the majority of campers were cannery workers, and they numbered in the hundreds. But two years ago the city parks department conducted an informal survey of tent city users and found its few dozen inhabitants were 50 percent tourists, or visitors there for only a few days, and 50 percent transient workers.
The change has meant a drop in revenue from the campfrom about $20,000 to $30,000 a year which just covered expensesto about $5,000 to $6,000 a year, McFarland said.
Despite the economic realities, it's hard for some to see tent city close. Besides being the main housing spot for seafood processing workers in the summer, it's a first home for some who have since become residents, like McFarland. Before he found a permanent place to live, the parks and rec director spent his first month in Petersburg camping at tent city, sleeping in the back of his truck.
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