Letters of support for NSRAA chum and king project.

Salty

2014-03-24 22:04:50

Fellow Trollers,

The Northern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association (NSRAA) has applied for a permit for remote release of chums and Chinook south of Sitka in Crawfish Inlet. Letters of support for this project which could greatly benefit fishermen, particularly trollers. Please lend your voice by taking just a few minutes to copy this sample letter, add your own perspective, and send to the address on the top of the letter.

Eric Jordan, Power Troll Representative, NSRAA Board of Directors

Date:

From:

To:

Alaska Division of Natural Resources

Division of Mining, Land and Water

SE Region Office

PO Box 111020

Juneau, AK 99811-1020

Attn: Megs Harris

Re: Support for Northern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association (NSRAA) DNR Land Use Permit Issuance (LAS 29485 and 29484)

Dear Madame,

This is a letter of support for the State of Alaska Division of Natural Resources to issue a Land Use Permit to NSRAA for a chum and Chinook salmon rearing and net pen storage project located in Crawfish Inlet, Baranof Island.

This project has the potential to greatly benefit the common property fisheries of Southeast Alaska. The current proposal before the Regional Planning Team (RPT) at the April 8th, 2014 meeting is for a release of 50 million chum and up to 600 thousand Chinook salmon. At full production this project has the potential to have an annual ex-vessel value of over 4 million dollars to the common property salmon fisheries. All gear groups will benefit from this project and it could play a key role in allowing troll gear groups greater access to chum salmon.

This location has been recommended for potential salmon enhancement by ADFG, the NSRAA staff and board, and the upland property holder, USFS, is not opposed. NSRAA has already obtained the US Army Corp of Engineers Letter of Permission for this activity to occur.

I/we strongly support this project and recommend the Land Use Permit be issued.

Sincerely,

Salty

2014-03-24 22:35:52

To: March 24, 2014

Alaska Division of Natural Resources

Division of Mining, Land and Water

SE Region Office

PO Box 111020

Juneau, AK 99811-1020

Attn: Megs Harris

Re: Support for Northern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association (NSRAA) DNR Land Use Permit Issuance (LAS 29485 and 29484)

Dear Ms. Harris,

I am writing in support for the State of Alaska Division of Natural Resources to issue a Land Use Permit to NSRAA for a chum and Chinook salmon rearing and net pen storage project located in Crawfish Inlet, Baranof Island.

This project has the potential to greatly benefit the common property fisheries of Southeast Alaska. The current proposal before the Regional Planning Team (RPT) at the April 8th, 2014 meeting is for a release of 50 million chum and up to 600 thousand Chinook salmon. At full production this project has the potential to have an annual ex-vessel value of over 4 million dollars to the South East Alaska common property salmon fisheries. All gear groups will benefit from this project and it could play a key role in allowing troll gear groups greater access to chum salmon.

I helped pioneer the chum troll fishery which is producing high quality ocean brite chum salmon for a premium value (Seafood Producers Cooperative just settled at $0.75 per lb for troll chums in 2013, 15 cents or 25% above the net price of $0.60.) Last year trollers caught a record of over a million chums worth over $5 million to the troll fishery. This site close to troll processors and the troll port of Sitka could benefit my business, my fleet, and my community (Sitka) a great deal.

Since I helped found NSRAA in 1977 we have only been permitted two hatchery (Medevejie, Sawmill Cove) facilities in SE Alaska. This remote release site in Crawfish Inlet which was suggested to us by ADF&G provides a rare opportunity to expand our highly successful, worth over $20 million to fishermen in 2013, salmon enhancement production.

This location has been recommended for potential salmon enhancement by ADFG, the NSRAA staff and board, and the upland property holder, USFS, is not opposed. NSRAA has already obtained the US Army Corp of Engineers Letter of Permission for this activity to occur. While this area is in the South Baranof Wilderness Area, the language in ANILCA (attached) which I helped draft in the late 70’s, clearly intended for this type of project to be permitted.

I strongly support this project and recommend the Land Use Permit be issued.

Sincerely,

Eric Jordan

ANILCA

TITLE 13, Section 1315

Web address: http://alaska.fws.gov/asm/anilca/toc.html

WILDERNESS MANAGEMENT

§1315. (a) APPLICATION ONLY TO ALASKA.--The provisions of this section are enacted in recognition of the unique conditions in Alaska. Nothing in this section shall be construed to expand, diminish, or modify the provisions of the Wilderness Act or the application or interpretation of such provisions with respect to lands outside of Alaska.

(b)AQUACULTURE.--In accordance with the goal of restoring and maintaining fish production in the State of Alaska to optimum sustained yield levels and in a manner which adequately assures protection, preservation, enhancement, and rehabilitation of the wilderness resource, the Secretary of Agriculture may permit fishery research, management, enhancement, and rehabilitation activities within national forest wilderness and national forest wilderness study areas designated by this Act. Subject to reasonable regulations permanent improvements and facilities such as fishways, fish weirs, fish ladders, fish hatcheries, spawning channels, stream clearance, egg planting, and other accepted means of maintaining, enhancing, and rehabilitating fish stocks may be permitted by the Secretary to achieve this objective.[/b) Any fish hatchery, fishpass or other aquaculture facility authorized for any such area shall be constructed, managed, and operated in a manner that minimizes adverse impacts on the wilderness character of the area. Developments for any such activities shall involve those facilities essential to these operations and shall be constructed in such rustic manner as to blend into the natural character of the area. Reasonable access solely for the purposes of this subsection, including temporary use of motorized equipment, shall be permitted in furtherance of research, management, rehabilitation and enhancement activities subject to reasonable regulations as the Secretary deems desirable to maintain the wilderness character, water quality, and fish and wildlife values of the area.

~~[attachment=0]~~Chum salmon.JPG[/attachment]

Drew

2014-03-25 03:58:06

Eric, could you explain this proposal a little bit? I read the proposal, but was a little confused. Some parts of it seem to imply that this would increase production, but it also says at the end that there would be no change in the number of eggs.

This is what I was reading.

http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/static-f/fishing/PDFs/hatcheries/pars/2014-2-14%20MCH-Crawfish%20Chinook.pdf

Salty

2014-03-25 05:51:39

Drew,

The chum would be new production. The Chinook part of the permit, which was the link you posted, would be moving existing production from Halibut Point Marine or Silver Bay.

I think it would be great to increase our spring Chinook troll opportunity toward Crawfish in the Windy Passage area. Protected inside area with good harbors and feeding grounds.

Also could develop into an important chum fishery.

Drew

2014-03-25 06:47:22

A new chum area would be nice especially if it was more targetted for trollers, like an NSRAA version of Neets bay.

I'm not sure how I feel about it for kings if it means releasing less kings in sitka sound. The 7 day a week spring area in sitka sound is one of the most productive spring areas in southeast. Releasing more kings at halibut point makes sense to me as it gets them away from the jelly fish in silver bay while still having them return through the sitka sound area. New spring areas in windy passage would be nice, but they would probably be on the same days of the week as other productive areas like biorka. I'm not sure I see what the net benefit of relocating the kings is to trollers.

I'm definitely interested in hearing more about this and like I said a dedicated area for trollers to access chums near sitka would be awesome.