Bowers credited a large quantity of male crab and good weather for the short season. "Male abundance was good," he said. "There were some fairly high abundances that were pretty well distributed across the areas fished. Favorable weather also had something to do with it; the weather picked up at the end, but not enough to slow the catch rate."
The fleet did not incur any crew fatalities, but did see two injuries that required Coast Guard assistance. David Robinson, a 44-year-old deckhand aboard the vessel Gun-Mar, reportedly suffered a six-inch laceration and possible skull fracture after a crab pot boom block struck him in the head. He was lifted off the boat by a Coast Guard Jayhawk helicopter and transported to Cold Bay, and then taken by commercial medivac to Anchorage. In a separate incident, a 40-year-old deckhand aboard the fishing vessel Bella K was reportedly smashed by the pot launcher. The Coast Guard transported him to Cold Bay by helicopter, where he was also taken by commercial medivac to Anchorage. The Bella K is one of six vessels that had a film crew from the Discovery Channel on board for the season to document what is anticipated to be the last race for king crab before an IFQ program is implemented in 2005.
Alaska Department of Fish and Game Commissioner Kevin Duffy announced the state will host a series of town hall meetings this winter to launch an important policy discussion regarding options for Alaska's response to the growth of finfish farming. The meetings are being held in response to the expansion of finfish farming across the globe, including recent interest in offshore aquaculture in federal waters of the United States. Federal waters extend from three to 200 miles offshore. According to a press release from Commissioner Duffy's office, recent developments, including the release of the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy Report, the expansion of finfish farming in British Columbia to include black cod, and proposals by the National Marine Fisheries Service to expand aquaculture in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone, have elevated the debate over finfish farming to a new and higher level of importance.
"This is an opportunity for Alaskans to voice their opinions and give the state of Alaska direction on how we might support industry's efforts to respond to the expansion of finfish farming in a manner that maintains the economic vitality of our fishery-dependent communities," said Duffy. "Only after hearing directly from Alaskans, can we adequately assess and address the potential socio-economic and environmental impacts that finfish farming will have on Alaska's fishing industry, coastal communities, and economy."
The first meeting will take place in Seattle at the upcoming Fish Expo. "Alaska at the Crossroads: A Town Hall Meeting to Identify Options for Addressing the Growth of Finfish Farming," will take place from 2 to 4 p.m. Nov. 12. Additional town hall meetings will be held in Alaska this winter, although details are still being worked out. According to Sue Afpelund, the commissioner's fisheries policy adviser, a meeting in Alaska is tentatively scheduled for the last week in February, although that may be too soon.
Afpelund noted, "Some fishing organizations have made an informal request to delay past that, but we're not sure we can accommodate them because of all the other fisheries meetings that happen that time of year." At this point, the plan is to have the meeting in Anchorage with the ability for interested parties from other communities to participate via teleconference. Sarah Gilbertson, special assistant to the commissioner, told Seawatch that although details have not been nailed down, the issue is a priority for the department and Gov. Frank Murkowski's office. "This is something we're committed to doing," Gilbertson said. "We definitely want to hear from people in the industry."
The Murkowski administration has been closely following the expansion of finfish farming. In September, the governor asked the U.S. Department of Commerce for a five-year moratorium on new finfish farming and for other concessions before considering any changes to encourage aquaculture in federal waters. More recently, the governor sent a letter to British Columbia, Canada Premier Gordon Campbell expressing concern over his government's recent decision to allow new sablefish farming operations in British Columbia without first assessing the potential economic, social and environmental impacts of sablefish farming.
Cristy Fry has commercial fished in Homer since 1978. She also has designed and built gear for the fishing industry. She currently longlines for halibut and sablefish and gillnets salmon in Upper Cook Inlet aboard the F/V Realist.
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