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Governor Bill Walker has officially requested that the federal government declare a disaster for four Alaska regions hurt by one of the poorest pink salmon returns in decades. In a September 19 letter to U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker, Walker said fishery failures that occurred this summer at the Kodiak, Prince William Sound, Lower Cook Inlet and Chignik management areas are having a “significant impact on those who depend on the fishery for their livelihood” and asks for the “soonest possible review” due to the economi...
ANCHORAGE - A federal appeals court has ruled in favor of a state commercial fishing organization that challenged a decision to move several southern Alaska salmon fisheries from federal to state management. The U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday overturned the decision by the North Pacific Fishery Management Council. The ruling means the case will go back to U.S. Alaska District Court and that federal fisheries policymakers will have to work with state managers on a new management plan, The Alaska Journal of Commerce reported....
September 23, 1916 – It is reported that the Pacific Net and Twine Company's power schooner Zella May was engaged last week in saving the San Juan Fish Company's halibut schooner San Jose, which went on the rocks several weeks ago at Puffin Bay. It is said the first report, to the effect that the San Jose had gone to pieces, was not correct; that the schooner is sunken, but, aside from a hole punctured in her hull, is not materially damaged. September 26, 1941 – The Brown Bear, Game Commission boat, was in Petersburg early this week, bri...
So far the moose season for the Petersburg, Wrangell and Kake area is looking much better than last year when it comes to illegal kills, according to Rich Lowell, area wildlife biologist for Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G). “We’re at two right now, two out of 23,” he said of total illegal kills. “But that could change in a heartbeat.” Lowell said hunters have five days to check in a harvested moose, so there’s still a chance the total for the first week of the season could increase. In 2015, 34 moose were taken during the first week...
Cordovans are hoping to revive a long lost Tanner crab fishery in Prince William Sound as a step towards keeping the town’s waterfront working year round. The crab fishery produced up to 14 million pounds in the early 1970s and had declined to about half a million pounds by the time it was closed after the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill. State managers believe the Tanner stock remains depleted and cannot provide for a commercial fishery, but locals believe it’s time to take a closer look. “It’s largely the opinion of the people around here th...
September 16, 1916 – Two bids were submitted to the council for the south end bridge and street improvement work, the lowest being that of A. W. Willard. He offers to furnish the labor and piling for the job for $1,125. The bid will be accepted. The town is to furnish the necessary lumber – 75,000 feet. The second bid was considerably higher than Mr. Willard”s. September 12, 1941 – With dramatic suddenness, the fishing season, which was scheduled to run until September 15, ended when the order went out that Wrangell Narrows was to be closed...
Bering Sea crabbers were stunned last week when the outlooks for the upcoming fall and winter fisheries were revealed. Results of the annual summer surveys by state and federal scientists showed that numbers of mature male and females dropped sharply across the board for the big three: opilio (snow crab), their larger cousins, bairdi Tanners, and red king crab. “I don’t think anybody was expecting the numbers to be as low as they ended up. That was a shock,” said Ruth Christiansen, science adviser and policy analyst for the trade group, Alask...
The month long moose hunting season is ready to begin next week, opening on September 15 and lasting until October 15. For the Wrangell, Petersburg and Kake game unit, last year’s moose season turned out being the third best on record according to Alaska Department of Fish and Game harvest data. Area hunters had a 13-percent success rate, with 103 males harvested by 772 participating hunters. A total of 1,061 permits had been issued. After a reasonably mild winter, the moose population appears to be doing well. An aerial survey of the S...
With the seasonal peak behind it, Alaska’s commercial fishing industry is expecting one of the worst shortfalls for salmon in recent memory. As of last Tuesday, Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s in-season blue sheet summary estimated just over 102,245,000 salmon had been caught statewide, with less than a quarter of that caught in Southeast. Despite a fair showing for sockeye, the state’s fishermen would be fortunate enough to harvest half the 263,463,000 salmon estimated caught last year. The news has not been good for the local comme... Full story
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) – Gov. Bill Walker is holding off on implementing an administrative order that was recently at the center of a lawsuit between the state and a commercial fishing trade association. A release issued Thursday by Walker’s office says he is putting a moratorium on the order to allow more time for public input, The Juneau Empire reported. The order, issued in February, called for the transfer of several functions of the Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. The move is expected to sav...
Alaska’s 2016 pink salmon fishery is set to rank as the worst in 20 years by a long shot, and the outlook is bleak for all other salmon catches except sockeyes. “Boy, sockeye is really going to have to carry the load in terms of the fishery’s value because there’s a lot of misses elsewhere,” said Andy Wink, a fisheries economist with the Juneau-based McDowell Group. The historical peaks of the various salmon runs have already passed and the pink salmon catch so far has yet to break 35 million on a forecast of 90 million. That compares...
When it comes to the low voter turnout of last week's primary election, House District 35, Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tompkins says it might be an all time record. "If so, it's kind of shocking," he says. He believes some of the reasoning is the lack of initiatives on the ballot, while the last cycle had multiple initiatives drawing high interest like marijuana and minimum wage. Kreiss-Tompkins visited Petersburg last week to attend the funeral services of Al Dwyer. Kreiss-Tompkins is seeking...
The pink salmon season is starting to hit its peak, but the numbers are looking below recent averages, according to Troy Thynes, area management biologist with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. “Going into the season our preseason forecast was for a harvest of 34 million, which is below the recent 10 year average of 38 million,” he says. “Currently our harvest estimate is right around 11 million.” Pink salmon are the largest harvest in Southeast, and this year the strongest run is showing up south of Petersburg, with limited opening... Full story
Two big fish stories have been spawned so far by the 2016 Alaska salmon season: 1) sockeyes save the day; and 2) colossal pinks. A larger than expected sockeye salmon catch that has topped 50 million will salvage a summer that has seen lackluster catches of other salmon species, notably, those hard to predict pinks. “I think if you’re a Bristol Bay fisherman, you’re probably pretty happy, and if you fished anywhere else in the state, it probably hasn’t been a great season for you,” said Forrest Bowers, deputy director of commercial fisheries...
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) – Federal wildlife officials are implementing a rule prohibiting predator control on national wildlife refuges in Alaska, more than 73 million acres of land, with some exceptions. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service may still allow predator control the hunting of predators, such as wolves, to boost moose and caribou populations if the agency determines the effort is in response to conservation concerns, KTUU-TV reported. “Alaska’s national wildlife refuges are incredible landscapes with wildlife populations that suppo...
King salmon might not have been as abundant as gillnetters hoped for earlier this season, but the sockeye fishery on the Stikine starting in mid-June is coming in above predictions, according to Troy Thynes, area management biologist with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. “For the Stikine sockeye, our preseason forecast was 223,000 sockeye,” Thynes said. “Which is an above average run forecast. The average run over the last 10 years is about 180,000.” After a week or so into the season, it became apparent based on strength of catches...
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) – An Alaska whale-watching cruise turned into a rescue mission for an unusual aquatic species a distressed, swimming deer. The 18-passenger tour vessel from Gastineau Guiding Co. lassoed the struggling deer on Wednesday, pulled it on board and gave it a ride to an island, Juneau radio station KTOO reported. Naturalist Audrey Benson said visitors and crew were watching whales when the boat received a radio transmission that deer were swimming in the saltwater on the west side of Shelter Island. “We heard that there were two...
Who knows more about local salmon and their habitats than Alaska fishermen? That’s the impetus behind a new information-gathering project spawned by United Fishermen of Alaska (UFA) that aims to provide useful and timely news about the health of the state’s salmon runs. The Salmon Habitat Information Program (SHIP) launched last week with an online survey to provide commercial fishermen with a way to share their local intelligence. “We are asking people what issues they are most concerned about in their region,” said SHIP manager Lindsey...
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game announced that the commercial golden king crab fishery in the Mid-Chatham Strait and Southern Areas will close at 12:00 noon, Wednesday, June 29, 2016. These areas are being closed in response to continued poor fishery performance. These declines are similar to the time period of the early to mid-1990s when the department routinely closed fishing areas before harvest reached preseason guideline harvest levels (GHL). While the fishery dependent data used to manage golden king crab since 2000 are more...
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game announced the commercial spring troll fishery in the Ketchikan Area (101-29) will open to trolling from 12:01 a.m., June 9 through 11:59 p.m., June 12. Tebenkof Bay (109-62) will open to trolling from 12:01 a.m., June 11 through 11:59 p.m., June 11....
The budget impasse with Alaska legislators is wreaking havoc on salmon fisheries across the state, and the industry is bracing for the possibility of a complete shutdown in some regions. If lawmakers can’t agree on a budget by June 1, all state workers will be on notice for layoffs starting July 1. That includes 750 full-time and seasonal workers in the commercial fisheries division, many of whom are the boots on the ground for salmon management. “The word that comes to my mind is catastrophic,” said Scott Kelley, director of the state comme...
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Division of Wildlife Conservation in Petersburg reminds the public that deer fawns should not be handled, picked up, or otherwise disturbed. The first fawns of the season are being reported and sightings will increase over the next few weeks. Several consecutive mild winters have resulted in high deer survival in and around Petersburg and Game Management Unit 3 in general. As a result, wildlife managers in the region expect a high number of fawns this season. Although a fawn may appear to be abandoned or...
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game announced on Tuesday that modified king salmon sport fishing regulations that have been in effect for Wrangell and Petersburg’s District 8 are rescinded. As of this morning, the increased sport fishing opportunity for the district has come to an end, bringing regulations back in line with those of the wider Southeast region. Under the regulations, an Alaska resident permit-holder can bag and possess a limit of three king salmon, of 28 inches or greater in length. Nonresidents are limited to one king s...
The 35th Annual Petersburg Chamber of Commerce King Salmon Derby gets underway this Friday, May 27 at 7 a.m. The derby continues through the Memorial Day Weekend and ends Monday at 5 p.m. Two tagged fish worth $10,000 and $5,000 will be available for anglers this year. Derby committee member Doug Welde reported the king salmon were tagged on Wednesday morning near the mouth of Wrangell Narrows. The $10,000 prize is sponsored by Alaska Marine Lines and the Petersburg Chamber of Commerce. The $5,000 tagged fish is sponsored by Hammer and Wikan. N... Full story
Lesley Stella Older Croxton, 89, was born on May 17, 1926 to William and Frances Older in Adreian, Mich. She was four years old when she moved with her parents and sister Lee to California. She met Loren Croxton as the U.S. entered WWII, and they married when he returned after serving in MacArthur's Seventh Fleet in the South Pacific. Together they graduated from Oregon State University, and soon opened a mink ranch in Oregon, where their daughters Ruth and Mary were born. With the post-war decl... Full story
