Reports from drift boats on the grounds on Monday indicated slow fishing, which is expected so early in the season. Last year the drift season began on June 28, but new rules formed by the Board of Fisheries this year moved the drift opening to the third Monday in June or June 19, whichever is later.
Regulations added by the Board of Fisheries this year allow drift fishermen to use 50 fathoms of monofilament web, and setnetters to use 35 fathoms. Fishermen planning to use mono need to register with Fish and Game by stopping by the office in Soldotna or Homer, or calling them at 262-9368 or 235-8191.
The Big River district setnetters began fishing their regular Monday, Wednesday and Friday openings June 1, and will close Friday unless the 1,000 king salmon cap is reached prior to that date.
Southeast processors are having trouble getting their fish to market as Alaska Airlines cut freight runs to the area in a broad restructuring measure. The company is phasing out the nine 737-200 freight planes that formerly flew the "milk run" through Southeast with passenger planes that have less cargo room. This comes at a time when wild Alaska salmon is in strong demand in the Lower 48, forcing some processors to bypass the fresh market and freeze the fish, fetching a lower price.
Three bills currently in the U.S. Senate would restructure the National Weather Service or integrate it into the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, reducing its focus and preventing it from offering weather information for free in areas covered by commercial weather forecasters such as AccuWeather. The first two bills essentially bring the NWS under the control of NOAA without a clearly defined mission. The third, being heartily supported by the commercial weather industry, is Senate Bill 786 sponsored by Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum. It would re-establish the NWS non-compete policy and only allow the NWS to offer emergency alerts to the public, something that has the fishing industry concerned. Fisheries journalist Laine Welch reported that Mark Vinsel, director of United Fishermen of Alaska, said, "The bill would prevent the Weather Service from providing information in an area if someone else is providing it for profit. Companies that take on these kinds of things can drop unprofitable services or go out of business, and that happens every day. We can't leave our safety to the whim of a board of directors of a private company." Vinsel includes a webform to e-mail senators at the UFA Web site, www.ufa-fish.org, under the "Updates" link.
The Commercial Weather Services Association, however, claims that the bill guarantees public access to the information. In a press release it states, "The new legislation would require the NWS to distribute government generated weather information 'in real-time, and without delay ... in a manner that ensures that all members of the public have the opportunity for simultaneous and equal access.' No such requirement currently exists. This will mandate that the public, including users like pilots, boaters and farmers, and the private sector, will all have unrestricted real-time access to government information."
On the other hand, the association does go on to state that the NWS will be able to do a better job by narrowing its focus. "CWSA believes that the public safety and well-being of the nation would best be served by NWS concentrating on its long-standing and critical core missions including disseminating government-generated weather information and issuing severe weather warnings for the protection of life and property of the public," according to the association's Web site.
Halibut continues to flood into Southeast and Central Gulf ports, with 47 percent of the statewide quota landed as of Tuesday. Area 3A, which includes Homer, has landed 56 percent of its 25.5 million pound quota, with Homer and Seward neck-and-neck in poundage landed, at 3.5 and 3.6 million pounds respectively. Prices remain strong in Homer, although small fish (10-20 pounds) have remained well below the $3 mark most of the season. Dock prices in Homer last week ranged from $2.70 to $3.20 depending on size.
Cristy Fry has commercial fished in Homer since 1978 and has also 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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