Abundance
2012-11-20 17:32:15
Thanks for sharing that. This is very interesting. I was surprised at how agreeable the paper was to the idea. As they noted though, it might be a separate troll permit, not statewide. It would be interesting to see what opportunities would be opened up in the future if the "no trolling north of Cape Suckling" ban is cracked a little.
Salty
2012-11-20 21:48:54
I spent 8 years on the Advisory Committee to the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council. Every year in those years ATA proposed returning trollers west of Suckling. Every year I lobbied, spoke, and wrote comments trying to get it passed. Every year it was defeated soundly.
Eventually I came to understand that trolling, as we know it, would never be allowed west of Suckling. Then I realized that means we have the exclusive right here in SE Alaska to produce the best quality Alaska Salmon, ocean brite feeders, troll caught and handled. That if the rest of Alaska fishermen wanted to continue to handicap themselves by refusing the opportunity to produce the best quality salmon in the world then I would let them.
FV_Wild_Card
2012-11-21 01:49:29
Complete and total opposition to a Bristol Bay troll permit is the only reasonable course. We don't want those fish on the market. We don't want the precident. We don't want any permits other than ours trolling for salmon in Alaska. If they want to open it for our statewide permits, great, that would work in our favor, no body HAS to go there.
ATA following this?
What is the reasoning behind no trolling west of Suckling?
tkbluefin
2012-11-21 04:59:37
When was the last time there was a proposal to fish above Cape Suckling?
I'd be curious to hear the arguments against it.
Salty
2012-11-21 07:46:30
It was only 10 years ago or so that ATA stopped proposing it. In 1976 Clem Tillion pushed it through the Alaska Board of fisheries and then through the newly formed NPFMC the next year.
The reasons were weak Chinook runs west of Suckling. The lack of an established troll community out west helped.
In the ensuing years sport and Gillnet interests worked together to keep us out.