yak2you2
2008-03-11 11:41:13
Hi , I'm new to this site, I'm a troller out of Yakutat. I'm just curious if there are any plans in the works for the ATA to take the state/feds to task for continuing to allow the drag fleet to kill what amounts to double our entire winter quota (some 120,000 king salmon by-catch according to state obsever program), and shovel it over the side? It galls me to hear about the humble folks down south being shut down over endangered this, or endangered that, and these floating factories just keep a rollin-death-tollin. Where's the lawsuits?? It seams like even organizations like Greenpeace and associated groups are intimidated by them.If ever there was a corporate giant that needs restraint more than these rapists, i'd be surprised. So why is no one doing anything. I just wonder what are returns might be like if they left our stocks alone for a couple of years. They are the high-seas driftnetters of this generation. Anyone with any insight as to why these guys appear to be such sacred cows? Dale sounds like you know what's going on at the ATA, any thoughts?
Trolling has been decent up here on the northern end this winter, I'm a lifer and I enjoy what I do. I'm getting concerned with all the treaties, endangered runs, and ever increasing sportsfish allocations, shutting down my way of life. I just find it laughable that somebody somewhere would sit thruough an innueno thick meeting discussing Alaska's winter king salmon allocation, when they could easily slip under the scuppers of the real killers. The other species that the polluck drag fishery has an effect on, suffer far worse mortalities, by the way.
Thanks, Case
Salty
2008-03-11 23:25:15
Case,
Good to hear from you. Legitimate concerns about the trawl fleet by-catch in the Bering Sea of Chinook. I worked on this issue when I was employed by the Alaska Marine Conservation Council. As I remember we accomplished two things that should help constrain the Chinook by-catch and minimize other mortalities.
1. We took the Bering Sea Pollock trawl fishery off of the bottom. While I know they still, illegally, put those pelagic nets on the bottom it was the best we could do. UFA was a big help in that campaign as they unanimously supported the proposal. Doubt that we could get that kind of move through UFA now that so many trawl groups have joined. My thinking was that by moving the nets off of the bottom we would reduce Chinook catch as well as halibut and crab which were the primary targets of the regulation.
2. We got a resolution endorsed by lots of Bering Sea communities and villages to reduce Chinook by-catch in the Bering Sea trawl fisheries. I can't remember what ever came of that.
Contact AMCC (dorothy@akmarine.org) in Anchorage and see what they are doing. I am sure they are on this issue.
Sounds like Yakutat Bay is the place to be this winter. Sounds like it is full of herring. Are you guys going to propose some spring fisheries? I know you don't have enough hatchery fish but I think we should look at these fisheries with a broader perspective. Market opportunities or something. No reason you and the Craig area shouldn't have some shot in May and June.
yak2you2
2008-03-12 03:30:53
salty,
Thanks for the come back. I have read up on lots of diffrent agencies that are "working" with the draggers to reduce by-catch, but the plain truth of it is, their by-catch is increasing. The industry, and the ships are so massive, that the demand forces them to be careless. Nothing short of absolute enforcement of the endangered species act wiil cause them to stop. The law of averages says that some of those 120,000 king salmon they killed last year were destined for an endangered river, and no one seems to be willing to stop it. So what do you say to the guy with the little boat tied to the dock in California? Get a bigger boat and will leave you alone? I hate to say it, but this IS one case where a lawsuit should be slapped on, until the issue gets resolved, nothing else will make an industry as driven by corporate greed stop what they are doing.
We are below average in our catchs here in Yakutat too this winter but there has been a few little rallys. If your persistent there has been enough to keep it interesting. I've been staying on it most every day this winter, and it's payed out at times.
Your right in what you've heard about the the herring. I've been here for 40 years, and i've never seen herring so thick. It just moved in with in the last couple of weeks, and in my opinion, it's made fishing harder. I'll go out and mark kings, but I can't get em to bite. All they have to do is swim around with their mouths open for a few minutes and their full, why would they want any of my junk?
It's time to be moving out on to the bar, but the weather just doesn't want to give it up, it's been really frustrating. I would like to go get a couple of good smacks in before the price takes a dump, but we've just been shut out, day after day.
A spring opener would be really nice, but doesn't ever sound likely. We've tried to get a 1000 fish test fishery opened up, but our local ADFG office is affraid that will have an impact on the Situk river's returns which are really small, 600-800 spawners. I don't see it myself, as alot of the fish we catch that time of year are clip fins heading south, but they are pretty firm on not alllowing it based on that, so we'll have to see. If there is one, it would undoubtedly just piss me off anyway. imagine just getting them dialed in for a beating and,"oop sorry, yer 1000 fish are in, bring us the slippers Cinderella, the balls over."