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E. a O °0 0� n w C w o- n o. $ ° a »5 • vi 5. g. o • w N . o a R. m 5 5 2 s censor Quota rears its ugly head COMPASS: Points of view from the community By BOB STORRS (may God bless his resting soul) (Published: September 10, 2003) Processor Quota is a system first proposed for the Bering Sea crab fisheries -- but soon to be extended elsewhere — that would force fishermen to deliver 90 percent of their catch only to certain, largely foreign- owned, processing companies. It Is a system few like: • More than 1,000 coastal Alaskans have signed a letter opposing the idea. • Coastal communities, tribal groups and fishermen's organizations from across Alaska have passed resolutions against it. • The General Accounting Office has trashed the economics behind it. • A majority of crab fishermen are against it. • The rest of the country Is scared to death that it will appear on their doorstep. • The once - vaunted "unanimous" voice of the North Pacific Fishery Management Council is now fractured on the issue. • And finally... just this last week the Justice Department issued an analysis panning the Legality of It. So why is this abomination -- like some creature from a bad movie -- still alive? It is alive only because Alaska's congressional delegation would not let it die. They didn't even have to kill it; they just wouldn't let it die. Because Processor Quota is such a blatant breach of anti-trust law and is so far beyond the mandate of the North Pacific Council, congressional action is required in order for it to be implemented. It Is so unpopular nationwide that the only way that could happen would be for our delegation to attach a rider onto an unrelated, more tenable piece of legislation. On Thursday they did just that, so Frankenstein now lives. The rider was a uniquely back -door way of giving Nippon Suissan and Trident Seafoods virtual ownership of a once- public American resource -- and forever changing the whole economic, social and political fabric of our coastal communities -- all without going through the full public process. It is important to remember that all of the goals of fleet reduction, increased safety, community stability, as well as conservation concerns could be achieved without granting cartel status to a handful of companies and thereby not requiring special congressional action. Conservation and safety issues are dealt with on deck and in the wheelhouse, not in a faraway corporate boardroom. In fact, all that has prevented the communities and the fishermen from achieving a safer, more rational fishery long ago has been the fact that these transnational corporations have cynically held the public process hostage to their demands for control of the resource. They know that they have immense financial and political clout and that We in coastal Alaska are about to become very special citizens. Because we Processor Quota concept is so reviled elsewhere in the United States, any such action will be limited to our area. We will be the only people in the United States not to receive the protection of a hundred years of anti-trust law, and the only people for whom it will be functionally illegal to organize into true co- operatives. You cannot have a viable co -op when your members are required by law to deliver 90 percent of their product to the competition. No matter what they say in Tokyo, that is not the American way of doing business. So now that we are being relegated to the second -class citizenship of Territorial days, what will be the next act in this uniquely Alaska drama? Will the council system designed and nurtured by Sen. Ted Stevens survive the sheer egregiousness of this resource grab, or will Processor Quota deliver a national kiss of death? Will the judicial system, or a rare spasm of sanity from Congress, come to the rescue of coastal Alaskans, or will we be living In company towns where citizenship is a corporate matter? Stay tuned. The monster lives. Bob Storrs is a 30 -year commercial fisherman and president of the Unalaska Native Fishermen's Association. (now deceased) 10/31/2005 The Marine Fish Conservation Network ... To Protect, Restore, and Conserve Marine Fish. Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) systems allocate a set percentage of the total annual quota for a species of fish in a particular fishery exclusively to individuals as quota shares. Well designed IFQ systems can increase seafood quality and value, foster resource conservation, and promote safety -at -sea, but IFQ systems, in and of themselves, do not guarantee that a fishery will be sustainably managed or result in appropriate socio- economic benefits. In fact, poorly designed and regulated quota systems often degrade fishing communities, create monopolies, and lead to overexploitation of fish resources and deterioration of the marine environment. If IFQs are to be an effective management tool, strong national standards must be in place to ensure conservation and the equitable distribution of fish resources. H.R. 3278 the "Fishing Quota Standards Act of 2005," contains such standards. Below is a summary of the legislation's key provisions. The bill retains current law stating that IFQs are not compensable property rights and are revocable. This principle is strengthened by limiting IFQ systems and shares to a period not to exceed seven years, after which time they will be renewed if they are meeting defined criteria. IFQ systems will be reviewed every seven years and decisions on whether to renew or modify the system or quota shares must be based on the outcome of the system review. Decisions to renew or modify IFQ systems or shares will be based on evaluations of whether the system is providing additional and substantial conservation benefits. Additional and substantial conservation benefits are measurable improvements in avoiding bycatch, preventing high - grading, reducing overfishing, rebuilding overfished stocks, and protecting essential fish habitat. H.R. 3278 Fishing Quota Standards Act of 2005 To ensure that IFQ systems have broad participation, the bill requires the establishment of limits on the number of shares any person can control to prevent the consolidation of quota shares into the hands of a few. Preference is provided in initial allocations to fishermen who are engaged in fishing and have long -term participation in the fishery. An IFQ system must contain a mechanism to provide opportunity for new entrants. Finally, decisions on whether to approve an IFQ system must be approved by a two- thirds majority of the participants in the fishery. The bill requires each fishery management council to establish and maintain an individual fishing quota review committee, consisting of individuals with knowledge in fisheries management and no financial interest in IFQ fisheries, to conduct reviews of IFQ systems. COSPONSORSHIP: For more information, or to cosponsor the H.R. 3278, the "Fishing Quota Standards Act of 2005," contact Allison Vogt in Congressman Allen's office at 225 -6116. 600 Pennsylvania Ave., SE Suite 210 • Washington, DC 20003 Phone: (202)543 -5509 • Fax: (202)543 -5774 • network @conservefish.org • wwwconservefish.org USCOP Recommendations Fishing Quota Standards Act of 2005 Specify the biological, social, and economic goals of the > The bill requires IFQ systems and shareholders to plan; recipient groups designated for the initial quota return scientifically measurable improvements in shares; and data collection protocols. avoiding bycatch, preventing high- grading, reducing overfishing, rebuilding overfished stocks, and protecting essential fish habitat. ➢ The bill contains language requiring any IFQ system to minimize, to the extent practicable, negative social and economic impacts of the program on local coastal communities. • S. The bill also requires a fair and equitable allocation of quota shares among vessel categories and gear types. Additionally, preference in initial allocations is given to fishermen who are currently engaged in fishing and have long -teen participation in the fishery. Provide for periodic reviews of the plan to determine S. The bill requires each fishery management council to progress in meeting goals. establish and maintain an IFQ review committee, consisting of individuals with knowledge in fisheries management and no financial interests in IFQ fisheries to conduct reviews of IFQ system performance. The Marine Fish Conservation Network To Protect, Restore, and Conserve Marine Fish." Fishing Quota Standards Act of 2005 Comparison of U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy Recommendations for National Standards for Individual Fishing Quota Programs and the Standards in the Fishing Quota Standards Act of 2005 Recommendation 19 -15. Congress should amend the Magnuson— Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act to affirm that fishery managers are authorized to institute dedicated access privileges. Congress should direct the National Marine Fisheries Service to issue national guidelines for dedicated access privileges that allow for regional flexibility in implementation. Every federal, interstate, and state fishery management entity should consider the potential benefits of adopting such programs. At a minimum, the national guidelines should require dedicated access programs to: 600 Pennsylvania Ave., SE Suite 210 • Washington, DC 20003 Phone: (202)543 -5509 • Fax: (202)543 -5774 • network @conservefish.org • wwwconservefish.org USCOP Recommendations Fishing Quota Standards Act of 2005 Assign quota shares for a limited period of time to reduce > The bill limits IFQ systems and shares to a period not confusion conceming public ownership of living marine to exceed seven years, after which time they may be resources, allow managers flexibility to manage fisheries adaptively, and provide stability to fishermen for investment decisions. renewed subject to satisfying defined criteria. Mandate fees for exclusive access based on a percentage of > The bill requires the collection of fees from all quota quota shares held. These user fees should be used to shareholders to recover direct costs related to support ecosystem -based management. Fee waivers, reductions or phase -in schedules should be allowed until a administration and implementation of the system, including enforcement, management, and data fishery is declared recovered or fishermen's profits increase. collection. Include measures, such as community -based quota shares > The bill requires fair and equitable distribution of or quota share ownership caps, to lessen the potential harm to fishing communities during the transition to dedicated access privileges. ➢ public fish resources, when developing IFQ systems. The bill generally limits quota shareholders to owning no more than 1 percent of the total allowable catch with an exception of 5 percent if a council can demonstrate that such an increase will not be detrimental to other shareholders. Exceptions for fisheries with a small number of participants are also provided. > The bill also authorizes communities to hold quota shares. Hold a referendum among all permitted commercial > The bill requires a referendum among participants in a fishermen after adequate public discussion and close consultation with all affected stakeholders, to ensure acceptance of a dedicated access plan prior to final > fishery to approve a new IFQ system. Individuals eligible to participate in the referendum Regional Fishery Management Council approval. include permit holders as well as crew members subject to specified criteria. COSPONSORSHIP For more information, or to cosponsor the "Fishing Quota Standards Act of 2005 ", contact Allison Vogt in Congressman Allen's office at (202) 225 -6116. If :'quotas do`becore the federal- ule,legi Iatioh will be needed to minimize their t On Monday, the.Bush adfninis- tratign proposed legislation that would overhaul tnaiwgevreat of the nation's EASES by privates. ingmarinerosouk; Fbr NewEn ttautl, the planhas regulators focncMg ou an �proeeh ;Milan: as In&YWual t nsfer late quotas Hiat Mml divldo lire. son* grouadish Sep ember A 2005 National standa olio spat es, moot like stoekaan a e ioet Homo any; ta'tie bo sold ;or leased by thebighes idder The majorily ofNew England's` fishermen, managers, and con- servationists have long apposed fills because t caa -:lead to economic consolidation and are not y/1014ut their awn ecological risks however, some fisheries analysts are,now saying I.Vaiopty a Matter of Htne ileefeas a *iota system is implemented, • Tins is -a :development that un derscores theLureintuitedite a bill inhndueed Rap Toot Mtn of Maine and lictilltup llelalwnt of Massachusetts, known as the "Fishing Quota Standards Act of 2005," that would roanienire the negatipe impacts associated with quotas 11 th ybecomelhexule tipoonents:ofiTQs argue that they: le to ; greater ecudomle efficiency b subjeobnga fish tertee .forces. Wien it vidunls and ikatineeka art guar- anteed the:prooeeds generated ABOUTTOU11101 . Miehaet eroger is co namunl Strait director fe f4fre:North- west Atlantic`MafinesAliiance, He. can be reactied:at mike@namanet.org frourditir Aortae ttHdse trsourdcs ai+ ag ee�torrii Ate& and spe`twno6le But csi rkeertt when quotas were mirodut'ed to greund- daltt in Canada, seafood;curpo- rations bought up thmalmity e of shares, a nnti_a o ce. si lll- aealefisliin 6 Hoes. A further . consoiltdati oon: of the Sah fleet ra New it gland nvo iikt hl sly lead to be ejimina' bon of matey historic fislucg pots, a monde* sides /61S swrable economic and socutl 1 "n i nd, the need o'(y Wok at the thousands of fanilly fans that were bought nit to make way fob industrial -style agmeui- tyre In the Midwest rot an exam plc of-*hat happens when a ato- guards are not g ra n ted to Bard- woHidngsmaiiholders. 1' The re iogical drawback to CCQts a not insigdificar Fri st, cousetvationists feats that a quoth systoni in NewrEngiafd wonldtifefli r additional pro. tontines to fish ,stocks tin is ripeatk orntbelhg idea? dtt1 fis .Qe:a a >$ It 4v is that a yauat ile ill 461`the c� Trent agemdtit stiategy, studs matey the both rely on the gearand reduce; >3a ne scienc that determines callsfor greateea the fishery's total allowable inanagenient. by unafinMr n�i digs lead 4o.:a, prachpo ,ell ' ` x where Idw -value °Ill raided at sea and luf her-value fish Tilted,_ a comnsrlsed predomhuant y bi industrial ffactoty trawler woould havea th L anoc oa o '� The AIlcn Aelaliun hid addresses glue ecological and social risks ?by creatiir saf` guarfls to protect flash and'Mhmg br exa tpie, it uestticfs the xause itappenis toa common- ...rte under landing of markct- lace eemro{niis unfortunately, tore of nwnne u�+ �tioual to fishertos ement. Tile revelation about the-poor health of cad stocks {tn New England relterates the need tb ei ate einentaystentfor the fu t protects !the ryes ecology a nd�proud ifiash -- Inl heritagc e bil woukldo h The M oth - arount eorpora of+quota one individu o ti oncan h old ; It sefsaside share lanyouagpeoplewhomay o n s e t s tar on ish, bi ffiy's speu fishing , tradl tllo n, it pinuiotes sl toit Of A► .cis,. Vii'` FISHERMEN'S August 2005 The Advocate for the Independent FFisherman According to the Marine. Fish Con- servation Network, Coastal U.S. Rep- resentatives recently introduced the "Fishing Quota Standards Act of 7005" to ensure that individual quota systems, often touted as the management solu- tion to our declining fisheries, would give fair and equitable opportunities to small-boat fishermen and fishing com- munities and would responsibly pro- tect marine environments. Currently, some in the west coast fishing industry are seeking an individual fishing .quo- ta (IFQ) system for the $58 million west coast groundfish fishery. /What fishermen fear the most with quota systems is that bigger players will buy up all of the quota shares leaving smaller fishermen high and dry," said Gary Soderstrom, a commercial fisher- man from Clatskanie, Oregon and presi- dent of the Comnbia RiverFishemiat's Protective Union, one of the oldest commercial fishingassodatlons in: the nation. "Fishing is still bread and but- ter for many families on the coast and consolidation of quota shares threatens those families and their communities." IFQ systems use quota shares to give fishermen exclusive access to a fared percentage of the total annual quo- ta in a fishery. The Bush Administra- tion promoted these systems in its U. Ocean Action Plan released of Decantber in response to the US. Commission on Ocean Policy report as the primay way to stop declining fish populations. Some reseaich, however, has shown IFQ systems without strong standards create multiple economic and environ- mental problems. For example, fFQsys- tems can give an unfair advantage to News Congress Aims for Fisheries Quota Standards large corporations and industry partic- ipants -who have more capital to buy out other quota shareholders. Moreover, these systems mate incentives to throw less valuable fish back dead or dying, and to promote stewardship only for fish species with a high market value. "Individual fishing quotas can be an effective fishery management tool if and only if strong national standards are in place to protect fish populations, the marine envinumtent, and ... the inter- ests of fishing communities," said Lee. Crockett, executive director for the Marine Fish Conservation - Network,. a coalition of conservationists and fisher- men. "This legislation creates a solution to the potential pitfalls of quota systems and ensures that they accomplish all that their proponents wantthem to." "What we're seeing happening with $2.00 most IFQ ,programs is the elimination of family fishermen in favor of corporate interests that have little or no conner fi tion to fishing. communities," said. ?Ake Grader, executive director of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associ- ations. "The standards in this legislation will go a long way toward preserving our tnation's remaining fishing conurrn shies." The Fishing Quota Standards Act of 2005 would Require IFQ systems to dembn- strate strong conservation performance, such as reducing bycatch and protect - ing essential fish habitat, or be subject to modification or limitation dating sys- tem renewal. Prevent fishermen from holding shares in perpetuity and excluding oth- er partldpants by - determining that quo- ta shares are not property rights and may be renewed every seven years. Recover the direct costs of the IFQ system, including enforcement, man - agement, and data collection. Prevent industry monopolies by limiting quota ownership to one per- . cent of the total quota unless a cmmdl can demonstrate that such an increase will not be detrimental to other share- holders. Allocate quota fairly among vessel onegories and gear types, giving initial preference to fishermen who haves long history of participating in the fishery Allow fair access to new.entrants, including entry-level fishermen, small vessel owners, and crewmembers..t October 2, 2005 Pori limb Ws /End Fish -quota plan gets mixed reviews By: Tom Bell, Portland Press Herald Writer Since Europeans first began fishing in New England's waters more than four centuries ago, anybody could catch as much fish as luck, skill and equipment would allow. The enormous fishing power of modern boats has put an end to that. With populations of some graundfish species now at a tiny fraction of their historic levels, fishing today is all about limits. Since the 1990s, regulators have focused on limiting how fishermen work, such as restricting the kind of nets they use or where they fish. The latest measure, Amendment 13, limits when they can fish by stipulating the number of days at sea. But there is growing momentum on the national level to forget about fishing effort and focus instead on the fish itself. The approach got a boost last month when President Bush proposed legislation that encourages regional fishery management councils to create more quota -run fisheries. The idea is to give each fisherman or a group of fishermen a quota, a share of the allowable catch, and let them fish whenever and however they want. Fishermen can lease or sell their quota shares. Economists say this approach is more efficient, more profitable and easier to regulate than an open access fishery. Some environmental groups like it because they believe it gives fishermen an incentive to conserve fish stocks. Critics, though, say quotas effectively "privatize" fish stocks by giving individuals and corporations the right to own fish stocks. They worry that a few corporations could buy up all the shares and squeeze out owner- operated fishing boats. While the quota system has become a normal practice in other fisheries in the nation and the world, it is hugely controversial in tradition -bound New England, where many vessels are owned by families and fishing is a way of life as much as a business. QUOTAS IN ALASKA In an open access system, fishermen race each other to catch as much fish as possible in the time allowed. That's what the halibut fishery was like in Alaska before quotas were introduced in 1995. Regulators had reduced fishery to one week a year. As a result, fishermen caught so much fish in a short time that they glutted the market. Most of the fish ended up in the freezer. Today, fishermen catch the their quota whenever they want, and they are selling it fresh at record -high prices. To prevent consolidation of the fishery, the rules prevent people from owning more than 1 percent of the total value of the quota. Quota fisheries are safer because they end the practice of sleep - deprived fishermen working in rough weather trying to grab fish before somebody else does, said Ralph Townsend, an economist at the University of Maine who has studied fisheries for 30 years. Quotas, he said, would change the nature of fishing in the Gulf of Maine, rewarding efficient managers rather than those who catch fish fast without regard to quality, he said. "The people who are good at business will be good at it. It won't be the Wild West out there anymore. The Wild West has produced cod stocks that are at 3 percent of their historic levels, and they should be shamed by it." Under a quota system, fishermen are guaranteed access to a percentage of the total allowable catch. When stocks rebound, their share increases in value. "The person who makes the effort to conserve fish reaps the benefit," said Rod Fujita, a marine ecologist with Environmental Defense, a national environmental group with 400,000 members. The experience of New Zealand's fisheries, however, illustrates the downside of an unrestricted quota system, said Kath Wallace, a senior professor of government at Victoria University in Wellington. When the island nation's fisheries were privatized in the 1980s, she saw it as a way to give fishermen an incentive to be better stewards. Today, she said, six corporations dominate the nation's fisheries, and their large vessels are typically crewed by workers from Ukraine, Korea and Taiwan. Meanwhile, New Zealand's own coastal communities have suffered. "Our coastal communities have mostly packed up and gone," Wallace said. She said the corporations' wealth has translated into political clout, enabling them to pressure the government to ease up on restrictions. Because the companies view fish stocks as private property, she said, they have sued the government when regulators have lowered the allowable catch. She said these companies have no financial incentive to conserve the stocks of a slow - growing species like the deep -water orange roughy, which do not breed until they reach about age 25 and live up to 130 years. Rather, the companies have "mined" these stocks and invested the profits in other industries, such as raising horses and processing vegetables, she said. Wallace said the orange roughy stocks and five others stocks in the region have suffered large declines. "Giving people a property right has obscured society's interest in the fishery and the environment," she said. THE POLITICS OF FISHING Bush's legislation would amend the Magnuson - Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the landmark law developed in 1976 to manage the nation's fisheries. The Senate's Commerce Committee, chaired by Sen. Ted Stevens, R- Alaska, is working on its own draft of Magnuson- Stevens. The most recent draft includes a section on "limited access privileges," replacing the old phrase "individual fishing quotas." The draft says that quota shares "shall not be considered a "right, title or interest" and that share holders can not be compensated if the govemment revokes or reduces the quota share. The draft says that quota share could be given to an entire community, such as a port or group of fishermen who use the same gear, and that community may share the quota among themselves and have role in managing the fishery. The Senate draft's most controversial provision allows processors to own quota shares. The idea is being tried for the first time this fall in the dangerous Bering Sea crab fishery in Alaska. Under the new system, crabbers will no longer compete with each other to catch king and snow crab, often eschewing sleep as they launch and retrieve hundreds of 800 -pound steel traps. Instead, they will be able to take their time to reach their quota. They will also be obliged to deliver 90 percent of the catch to a closed stable of seafood companies that own processor quotas. The New England fisheries managers would never let processors own quota shares here, said Sally McGee, an advocate with Environmental Defense and member of the New England Fisheries Management Council. In Congress, the debate over quotas is about whether there should be national standards to prevent consolidation and to protect small communities that typically have smaller boats and less access to capital. ALLEN INTRODUCES BILL Maine has significant voice in the debate because Sen. Olympia Snowe, R- Maine, sits on the Commerce Committee, and Rep. Tom Allen, D- Maine, co- chairs the House Oceans Caucus. Both are pushing for national standards. A bill Allen introduced in July sets limits on how many quota shares one person may own and also stipulates that people may not own quota shares more than seven years, thus assuring that shares don't become permanent property rights. Quota systems would divvy up fish stocks to the highest bidder and lead to a further consolidation of Maine's groundfish fleet at the expense of small fishing communities, Allen said. "We have gone far enough in consolidation in my opinion," he said. "We don't want groundfishing families in Maine to become extinct." While Snowe supports national standards, she also advocates that regional fisheries councils have the flexibility to implement them in a way that responds to the unique conditions facing each fishery. If efficiency and profits were the only goal, then four huge factory trawlers roaming the Gulf of Maine year -round would be the way to go, said Craig Pendleton, who owns a groundfish vessel and heads up the Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance. He said fishing captains who are tied to their communities are more accountable for their behavior at sea than corporations. "There is a responsibility that comes with fishing in a small community, and you lose that when you corporatize it," he said. "Just because you have economic might does not correlate to being a steward of the resource." McGee said the council could fashion a quota system to protect New England's diverse fishing fleet. In Down East, for example, the owners of small fishing boats could band together to share a quota among themselves and help manage a near -shore fishery. Fujita, of Environmental Defense, said some limits on ownership make sense but warned that too many restrictions would make quota systems unworkable. "The trick is to the harness market forces for a social benefit but not harness it so much that the program doesn't work," he said. ALASKA MARINE CONSERVATION COUNCIL aArar sea c kan d iiihniz 811 ee ti~ ott & i s'it flg [±,idi#IatE. Ik1ii dtlltl tlfist, !- e et fii ht i ,'dgji r t Improving Rockfish Conservation in the North Pacific The third immutable law of the universe is to, "Never eat anything older than your grandmother.' At least that's what Dr. Milton Love of the Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara suggests when interjecting a little humor into the study of rockfishes. Whether a law of the universe or not, Dr. Love is making a valid point. Some rockfish species live to be much older Yelloweye rockfish ( Sebastes ruberrimus). than your grandmother, or any human for that matter. Yelloweye rockfish (Sebastes ruberrimus) are known to live to 118 years and rougheye rockfish (Sebastes aleutianus) can live to 205 years of age. Scientific research on the biology of rock- fishes is demonstrating that older rockfishes play an integral role in the reproduction and survival of rockfish populations. As it turns out, the offspring born from older, larger rockfish are more likely to survive than the offspring born from younger rockfish. Dr. Steve Berkeley and colleagues determined that larvae born from older female rockfish had, "growth rates more than three times as fast and survived starvation more than twice as long as larvae from the youngest females."' Fisheries, meanwhile, cause "age- trunca- tion' in fish populations, simply by catching VItel omu to AMCCs new executive dfr& &tor On behalf of AMCC's board of directors, I would like to welcome Ent Siy to the A family. We hired Eric in the spring, knowing that he wouldn't be able to begin work until summer. It was well worth the wait! Eric arrived in mid -July after driving from upstate New York to Alaska via Canada with his wife Alex and four children, Melissa, Sasha, Rory and Leo Eric has a strong vision for the future of AMCC, a commitment to sustaining Alaskas oceans and coastal ways of life and the expertise to tarry AMCC forward. Among his recent leadership roles, Eric was vice president of Resource Renewal Institute, a San Francisco based nonprofit working to forge new alliances and new opportunities for protecting the environment while providing for the economy. Prior to workhtg with RRI, Eric was project director for Environmental Advocates of New York where he mobilized the diverse coalition that led to enactment of New York State's Environmental Protection Fund. He also orchestrated a statewide initiative to revitalize the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund. And before that, Eric led the National Audubon Society's campaign for better protection of the six- million -acre Adirondack Park in upstate New York. We look forward to a long and fruitful relationship with our new executive director and we have every confidence that Eric will be an extremely valuable addition to AMCC. He will be visiting coastal communities soon to meet AMCC members and community leaders and to break in his Helly Hanson gear on board some fishing vessels. Welcome aboard, Eric! -Pete Hendrickson, vice chair AMCC Board of Directors FALL 2005 Larvae born from older rockfish carry larger oil . droplets used for growth and to stave off star- vation. Younger mothers produce larvae with smaller oil droplets, which are less likely to survive through the juvenile life stage. young fish before they can become old fish. To sustain rockfish populations and vibrant fisheries, marine scientists are finding that it's critical to maintain a significant proportion of older fish for the replenishment and stability of fish populations. Age- truncation is one factor that plays into the impacts fisheries are having on rockfish populations. Many rockfishes have unique life history characteristics including being long -lived and late to mature, plus distinct habitat associa- tions and small population structures that elevate their susceptibility to localized deple- tion and over - harvest. Further, they have a continued on page 3 IN ;I E Improving Rockfish Conservatioh....1, 3 AMCC's New Executive Director.... . 1 -2 Congressional Wheels Aim on MSA 4-5 Tracking Bycatch 5 Friends of Brisol Bay Update......... 6 -7 Offshore Aquaculture Update 6 Staff News 8 Travelogue 9 Many Thanks 9 Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund 10 What's on Deck 10 Employment Opportunity 10 AMCC Store 11 Giving Opportunities 11 g AMCC Board of Directors Gordon Blue, Vice -Chair PO Box 1064, Sitka, AK 99835 747 -7967 him Brennan 1006 G St., Anchorage, AK 99501 279 -7808 Mike Brooks, Chair PO Box 1224, Girdwood, AK 99587 399 -1156 Harvey Goodell PO Box 3108, Kodiak, AK 99615 986 -0920 Pete Hendrickson, Vice -Chair PO Box 54, Unalaska, AK 99685 581 -1804 Oliver Holm, Secretary PO Box 3865, Kodiak, AK 99615 -3865 486 -6957 Dave Kubiak PO Box 193, Kodiak, AK 99615 986 -5536 Claire LeClair 1311 West 31st Ave, Anchorage, AK 99503 276 -1341 Karl Ohls 1463 Kirby Rd, McLean, VA 22101 (703) 942-0355 George Pletnikoff PO Box 503, Unalaska, AK 99685 581 -3609 Karl Pulliam PO Box 39281, Ninilchik, AK 99639 399 -7641 Walter Sargent 1830 Mission Road, Kodiak, AK 99615 -6509 986 -3371 Abigail Turner, Youth Seat PO Box 3171, Homer, AK 99603 AMCC Staff ANCHORAGE Eric Siy, Executive Director Dorothy Childers, Program Director Diana DeFazio, Communications Coordinator Kelly Harrell, Intern HOMER Alan Parks, Outreach Coordinator 3734 Ben Walters Ln., 4204, Homer, AK 99603 Ph: 235 -3826 Fax: 235 -3827 alan @akmarine.org KOOIAK Theresa Peterson, Outreach Coordinator PO Box 347, Kodiak, AK 99615 Ph: 486 -2991 theresa @akmarine.org NAKNEK Norman Anderson, Project Coordinator Friends of Bristol Bay PO Box 334, Naknek, AK 99633 Ph: 246 -3474 norman @akmarine.org phone (907) 277 -5357 (KELP) fax (907) 277-5975 e -mail amcc @akmarine.org homepage www.akmarine.org P.O. Box 101145, Anchorage, Alaska 99510 725 Christensen Drive, Suite 5 Anchorage, AK 99501 AMCC's programs are currently supported by the generosity of our many members and hinders: 444S Foundation; Alaska Community Share; Alaska Conservation Foundation; Boat Foundation; Harder Foundation; Marisla Foundation; George H. & lane A. Mifflin Memorial Fund; National Fish & Wildlife Foundation; Oak Foundation; and Surdna Foundation. A word from AMCC's new executive director On the cusp of a new season, it is a pleasure and an honor to intro- duce the Fall 2005 Sea Change as the Alaska Marine Conservation Council's new executive director. My talented predecessor in this post, Dorothy Childers, will now be working closely with me as AMCC's new program director. As revealed in the rich content and extraordinary initiative shown on every page of Sea Change, AMCC is at the forefront of efforts to protect the health of Alaska's oceans for our children and grand- children. This is a tribute to you, AMCC's engaged and active mem- bers, our remarkable board and staff and AMCC's devoted supporters that recognize the unique importance of our voice. All are integral to AMCC's continued success. I hadn't thought about it until driving into Anchorage - after 4,700 miles on the road with my wife Alex, two teen -agers and two elementary schoolers - but we moved from the countryside of New York State to the city in Alaska. Most folks don't believe that real country exists in a state best known for skyscrapers and Times Square, but we lived close to the land on 75 acres just two hours north of the George Washington Bridge. There we had a working tree farm from which we cut oak, maple, cherry, birch and beech; heated our home and raised our small children. I also taught my kids to fish, hunt, and ski and to generally savor the wonders of the woods. Yet, paraphrasing E.B. White, "when waking in the morning I am torn between the desire to savor nature and the desire to save it." Our personal connection to the land is closely tied to my professional commitment to protecting it. Over the past two decades my work has evolved from frontline advocate for the wild, but perpetually threatened Adirondack Park - the biggest, wildest park in the country outside of Alaska - to policy innovator importing the remarkable strides of other places, especially the European Union, to solve increasingly complex environmental problems. Unlike the United States, where public policies are largely reactive, fragmented and polar- izing, Europe has embarked on an intentional path toward becoming the world's largest sustain- able economy. We can learn from such alternative approaches as we work to bring about lasting solutions of our own. Though the players and issues may be different, my professional experience has provided fun- damental lessons that can be applied in any conservation arena including protection of marine ecosystems and the coastal communities that depend on them. Most important is the need for a clear vision of the future that can be broadly embraced and provide the basis for new levels of collaboration and new solutions. With members, board and staff that reflect the diversity and strong character that is Alaska, and with guiding principles that bespeak a vigilant commitment to a healthy future, AMCC leads by example. AMCC credibly straddles the divide between environmental and economic impera- tives, in the process bringing the voice of coastal communities to state and national leaders whose actions determine what the future will hold. My aim as executive director is to strengthen AMCC at its roots to ensure that the organization's unique voice is heard and that its vision for the future of Alaska's oceans and coastal communities is widely seen and supported. Especially now, when the threats to our environment have never been greater, AMCC brings the vision, leadership and sense of purpose that can move us closer to our shared goal of sustain- ing Alaska's incomparable ocean resources and making our approach a model for others. I look forward to working with you in this vital pursuit. Sincerely, Eric J. Siy Improving Rockfish Conservation Continued from page 1 closed swim bladder that ruptures when brought to the surface from depths greater than 60 feet. This means that each landed fish is a dead fish, making rockfish bycatch a serious concern. Little is known about the population levels, distribution and habitat associations for the roughly 39 species of rockfish (Sebastes and Sebastolobus) found off the coast of Alaska. Yet based on the informa- tion available, there are signs of concern. Research on Gulf of Alaska Pacific ocean perch (Sebastes alutus) indicates that the proportion of old fish (greater than 40 years) has been in steep decline over the last two decades.' Other studies suggest apparent overfishing of the long - lived rougheye rockfish in the Aleutian Islands, as well as possible localized depletion of yelloweye rockfish in areas off central Southeast Alaska. Further, state sportfish managers are expressing concerns about localized depletion of black rockfish (Sebastes melanops) off the outer Kenai Peninsula (or North Gulf Coast)." Current scientific studies, independent reviews of management harvest strategies and stock assessments indicate that current manage- ment, designed for less long -lived species like pollock and cod, fails to adequately protect Alaskan rockfish populations. Issues of greatest concern include: • Inadequate biomass estimates • Inadequate biological and genetic information • Excessive harvest rates • Overfishing of individual rockfish species managed in assemblages • Localized depletion of sedentary or genetically distinct populations • Age truncation • Habitat loss and degradation. Underlying all these concerns is the high level of uncertainty under which rockfishes are managed. While fisheries managers have a rea- sonable amount of information for managing the most abundant or commercially important non - rockfish species, basic information is lacking for most rockfish species off Alaska's coast. Scientists have indi- cated there is great uncertainty in population estimates of rockfishes and there is little information on population structure and habitat requirements. The unique life history characteristics of rockfishes, and the scientific uncertainties about their populations, have motivated calls for reduced harvest rates, bycatch reduction, and protected areas, or rockfish refugia.' In June 2004, after concerns about rockfish management were voiced by members of the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC) Scientific and Statistical Committee, independent scientists and others, the NPFMC requested an investigation of alternative har- vest rates, bycatch reduction, and refugia as part of their programmatic goals and objectives to minimize bycatch and prevent overfishing . The NPFMC rockfish report is expected to be available by October 2005. The NPFMC may decide to solicit a call for proposals that would gen- 3 Rougheye rockfish ( Sebastes alelutianus) crate management options. Taking this step would greatly help to get new ideas on the table for rockfish conservation, The improved conservation of North Pacific rockfishes will take the commitment of fisheries managers, scientists and stakeholders to address these issues in a comprehensive manner. Meaningful changes in management policy will take time to implement and time to have effects on rockfish populations. Despite the challenges, it's of great importance that managers employ precautionary measures to prevent rockfish populations from declining to such low levels. Managers will also be ensuring the sustainability of fisheries by avoiding fishery clo- sures that would likely occur in efforts to rebuild overfished stocks. Besides not eating anything older than your grandmoth- er, you may be wondering about the other immutable laws of the universe. For those and other humorous stuff about rock- fish, you must visit Dr. Milton Love's website, the Love Lab, at: httoi/ /www.id.ucsb.edu /lovelab /. AM CC's new report, Conservation and Management of North Pacific Rockfishes, seeks to answer questions about the long -term viability of rockfish populations under current management practices. The report details the ecology, life history and diversity of North Pacific rockfishes, describes current federal and state management practices and makes recommendations for improved conservation and management. It underscores the need for effective conservation of these unique and vulnerable fishes. The report is available online at www.akmarine.org or by contacting AMCC's Anchorage office. Our new educational poster, Rockfishes of the North Gulf Coast highlights the extraordinary life history traits of rockfish, their vulnerability to localized depletion on the outer Kenai Peninsula, and conservation solutions. la 1 Berkeley, S.A., C. Chapman, and S M. Sogard. 2004. Maternal Age as a Determinant of Larval Growth and Survival in a Marine Fish, Sebastes melanops. Ecology 85(5) 1258 -1264. 2 NPFMC 2004. Gulf of Alaska SAFE, at 399 -400. 3 NPFMC 2004. BSAI SAFE, at 814 -816 & NPFMC 2003. Gulf of Alaska SAFE, at 627. 4 Meyer, S.C. 2000. Composition and Biomass of the Recreational Rockfish Sebastes Harvest in Southcentral Alaska, 1992 -1995. Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Fishery Data Series, No. 00 -6. 5 American Fisheries Society 2000. AFS Policy Statement #31d: Management of Pacific Rockfish. 6 In June 2004, the NPFMC requested a discussion paper reviewing current rockfish management that specifically addresses harvest rates as recommended by Goodman et al. (F Review), altemative management measures (e.g. spatial management), and habitat considerations. The NPFMC again reiterated this request in February 2005, plus asked for a review of spatial and temporal bycatch information. Congressional Wheels Begin to Turn Reauthorization of the Magnuson - Stevens Fishery Conservation & Management Act is underway. The Commerce Committee in the U.S. Senate, co- chaired in an unusual bipartisan arrangement by Sen. Stevens and Sen. Inouye (D- Hawaii), has held listening sessions with different interests to learn more about specific concerns. In August a draft bill put together by several committee staff was circulated for comment. On the House side, the Subcommittee on Fisheries, chaired by Congressman Wayne Gilchrest from Maryland, held field hearings in Ketchikan and Kodiak in July. Sen. Stevens has let it be known that he wants the reauthorization completed during this Congress (that means by the end of 2006). It is expected that the Senate will move a bill first followed by the House. As the reauthorization wheels begin to turn, the North Pacific is being held up as the model for the rest of the nation to follow. This is based largely on the fact that there are no declared overfished ground - fish species in Alaska, a record in stark contrast to New England where Atlantic cod (and a number of other fish) have been badly over- exploit- ed and mismanaged and the Pacific coast where they are looking at 18 to 85 -year timeframes to restore seven overfished rockfish species. Most everyone who is tracking the New England experience agrees that they need to set and enforce a total allowable catch below a biologi- cally conservative limit. In the Pacific region, they neglected to account for bycatch in the total allowable catch for rockfish, a cause among oth- ers that drove the groundfish populations precipitously down. These practices have been used in Alaska for some years and have contributed to better conservation management (and, by the way, they are practices that are fundamental to complying with the Magnuson - Stevens Act requirement to avoid overfishing). All this is to say that the North Pacific is ahead of the curve compared to other regions. But let's not rest on these laurels. The North Pacific has its own management challenges and conservation needs that should be supported by the Magnuson- Stevens Act. We also have very significant socio- economic considerations to address in order to enable community -based fishing families to survive programs now in the making that will limit access to our public fishery resources. LIMITED ACCESS FISHERIES Individual Fishing Quotas (IFQs) or other kinds of dedicated access privileges are often discussed as fishery management models that are expected to have conservation and economic benefits as a natural consequence of slowing down the "race for fish" and making fisheries more efficient. However, IFQ case studies from around the world show that their natural trend is toward increasing consolidation of participants in a fishery, absentee owners leasing fishing access to sharecropper harvesters, ill- defined conservation benefits and communities bereft of a vibrant working waterfront. Although slowing down the race for fish can create conditions more conducive to better fishing practices, slowing down the pace of fishing through dedicated access programs is not the promised panacea for solving a wide array of problems. The lesson is that particular outcomes for conservation or the preservation of fishing communities are not a given unless they are an 111111 11111 1 11181i1� I I I I I n 4 explicit part of the program design. The National Research Council emphasized the importance of program design in its 1999 report to Congress: Confusion, conflict, and ambiguity about the relative impor- tance and value of the objectives of an IFQ program can result in contradictions and inconsistencies in its design and implementa- tion, making the program more vulnerable to unintended conse- quences and less likely to succeed. Dedicated access programs are going to change the face of our fisheries forever. Whether good or bad, the consequences will be large and long lasting so it's critically important to design them properly for intended outcomes. Standards in the Magnuson- Stevens Act would ensure that new dedicated access plans serve conservation effectively and promote the working waterfront of our fishery- dependent commu- nities. AMCC recommends that Congress adopt the following standards to guide regional councils in the development of specific programs: • Objectives - Programs must contain specific and measurable objec- tives defining the biological, social and economic goals of the program. • Conservation Benefits - Programs should be designed to reward clean fishing (e.g. promote low bycatch, prevent high- grading, mini- mize habitat impacts). • Limited Duration - Programs should be of limited duration. Before the end of each term of duration, programs should be subject to review. If programs are meeting their objectives, they should be contin- ued for another term. If not, they should be modified to better achieve the objectives as a condition of their continuation. Regional councils should also be able to make minor course corrections as needed within a term of duration. • New Entrants - Programs should create reasonable opportunity for future generations of independent fishermen to enter the fishery. • Maintain Active Participation in Fishing: - Preserve existing characteristics of today's diverse independent fishing fleets by retaining the percentage of the catch that is harvested as owner -on- board. - Prevent ownership of fishing privileges by individuals or enti- ties not otherwise associated with the fishery. - Prevent excessive consolidation of fishing quota. • Data Collection & Disclosure - Programs that dedicate access to a public resource to private individuals should t �ll require transparency of 1) ownership of fishing quotas, 2) quota transfers and leasing, and 3) agreements that govern the use of quota. Such information is needed for manag- ers to understand who controls quota as a prerequisite to enforcing caps on consolidation. • Competitive Markets - Congress should not authorize controls on markets through processing quota, limiting which processors are eligible to buy fish or requiring independent fishermen to deliver the catch to specific markets. All of these restraints are barriers to competition. It is not in Alaska or the nation's interest to limit entrepreneurial activity in the seafood business. We recommend Congress look to other non- permanent means to assist processors in adapt- ing to the transition from the open access "race for fish" to slower -paced fisheries. AMCC'S PLATFORM FO MAGNUSON- STEVENS REAUTHORIZATION AMCC appreciates the work Congress did -ih the 1996 >. reauthorization and we urge our leaders to maintain these existing provisions to minimize bycatch, prevent overfishing, protect habitat .. and promote conununities. To build on those positive steps, AMCC's specific recommendations are: • Improve fisheries management in all the regions including the North Pacific by strengthening the use of science in management through greater adherence to recommendations by the Scientific and Statistical Committees on the setting of total allowable catch and other aspects of management such as establishing habitat priorities, ecosystem parameters, or refinements to setting fishing limits to take into account special life history characteristics, predator /prey interactions or other ecosystem considerations. • Enable habitat research by authorizing funds and giving priority to mapping living seafloor habitats and determining their ecological functions as a critical tool to move our fisheries to an ecosystem -based approach. • Establish guidelines for dedicated access privileges to ensure fishery managers achieve opportunities for independent community-based fishing families and to ensure conservation is well served. See www.akmarine.org for AMCC's testimony before the U.S. House Subcommittee on Fisheries & Oceans, July 2005. Tracking Bycatch In 1996 Congress amended the Magnuson-Stevens FisheryConservation and Management Act to require federal fishery managers to minimize bycatch. Following passage of the Act, Sen. Ted Stevens exclaimed, "We have passed a bill to try to eliminate waste in the fisheries off our shores. If these mechanisms we have adopted through compromise do not work, I intend to be back with a stronger bill. The waste has become unacceptable, totally unacceptable" (Congressional Record 1996). Then, in 1998, the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC) passed an amendment that resulted in a significant decrease in bycatch - the implementation of full retention and utilization of juvenile pollock and cod. Bycatch declined from over 644 million pounds in 1997 to almost 330 million pounds in 1998. The full reten- tion of juvenile pollock and cod, however, did not comprehensively solve the bycatch problem in North Pacific fisheries. From 1998 -2004 bycatch has remained high with an average of over 310 million pounds of groundfish wasted each year. Since passage of the Magnuson- Stevens Act, managers have attempted to implement a number of bycatch reduction measures in the most wasteful of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands factory trawl- ers that target flatfish, rockfish, Pacific cod and Atka mackerel using bottom trawl gear. Yet, repeatedly, plans to minimize bycatch in these fisheries have been defeated, stalled and delayed. Recently, the NPFMC has called for a limit on the percentage of groundfish that can be discarded by 16 of these vessels greater than 5 Catch inside a trawl net being unloaded onto the deck NOAA Fisheries Archives 125 feet in length. Known as Amendment 79, this measure will at first allow a maximum of 3596 of the groundfish catch to be discarded and over time will ratchet the discards down to a maximum of 15% of the total catch. The amendment was originally scheduled to take effect in 2005, but representatives of the seven companies owning the 16 boats successfully fought to delay this bycatch reduction measure until 2007, and until another amendment is passed that gives a dedicated fishing allocation to them. Seven other factory trawlers, which are between 104 and 124 feet in length, will not be affected by Amendment 79 because it was deemed too costly for these trawlers to minimize their waste. As part of our efforts to minimize and track bycatch, AMCC publishes an annual report documenting the Waste of marine life that occurs each year in federally managed fisheries off Alaska. Discards in the North Pacific Fisheries, records the discards of groundfish and prohibited species (halibut, herring, crab and salmon), by fishery, gear type and region. The 2004 report will soon be available and can be obtained from our website, www.akmarine.org, or by contacting AMCC. Bycatch in the 2004 North Pacific groundfish fisheries included: n 319.3 million pounds of groundfish discards, plus, 12.7 million pounds of halibut (mortality estimate) n 2.4 million pounds of herring n 529,704 salmon n 2,978,400 king and Tanner crab. Friends of Bristol Bay Update Walrus herd in water, Round Island, Bristol Bay. The question of offshore oil and gas development has received increased attention in Washington, D.C. few months. The White House attempted to insert a the energy bill that would have mandated the sale of o gas leases in Bristol Bay. Thanks to opposition from Senator Lisa Murkowski and others, the provision was dead upon arrival (see Sen. Murkowski's letter- to -the- editor on facing page and the response from AMCC's Friends of Bristol Bay). However, the struggle to pro- tect these ecologically rich waters from the impacts of fossil fuel extraction is far from over. On August 22, 2005 the Interior Department's Minerals Management Service (MMS) announced that it was accepting public comments on the devel- opment of the 2007 -2012 offshore oil and gas leasing program. This "Call for Information" sets in motion in Bristol Bay over the past provision into ffshore oil and 3 a g National Offshore Aquaculture bill introduced On June 8, 2005, Senate Commerce Co- Chairs, Senators Ted Stevens and Daniel Inouye (D -HI), introduced the National Offshore Aquaculture Act of 2005 (S.1195). This is a government- sponsored bill that would allow industrialized fish farming operations in federal waters from 3 -200 miles offshore. AMCC opposes the current legisla- tion because: • Offshore aquaculture poses environmental risks to our ocean resources. The National Offshore Aquaculture Act provides few environmental safeguards. • Offshore aquaculture would have negative socio- economic impacts on Alaska's coastal communities. • AMCC supports conservative management of wild fisheries, com- munity-based opportunities for independent fishing families and advanced marketing of healthy, wild seafood products. Offshore fish farming is incompatible with this community vision. the two -year process which will determine the offshore areas that will be available for leasing. While Bristol Bay lost some protection in November 2003 when it was removed from the Congressional moratorium on offshore oil and gas development, it is still among the areas withdrawn from offshore leasing by the President. In the past, MMS has not solicited comments on offshore areas listed under the presidential withdrawal. However, this time the agency has asked for comments on all offshore plan- ning areas, including Bristol Bay. The rationale for this unprecedented move relates to a provision in the recently - passed national energy bill requiring an inventory of offshore oil and gas resources throughout the nation. By soliciting comments on all offshore leasing areas, the oil and gas industry will be able to formally request access to fossil fuel resources of Bristol Bay. The communities of Bristol Bay, as well as concerned citizens of Alaska and the rest of the country, have the important opportunity to express their support for continuing to keep this fisheries -rich eco- system off -limits to offshore development. An unwavering voice from Alaska for continued protection of Bristol Bay will be needed to ensure that MMS gives no further consideration to the area in the 2007 - 2012 offshore leasing program. Comments on the 5 -Year Offshore Leasing Program are due by October 11, 2005. For more informa- tion contact Norman Anderson at 246 -3474; norman@akmarine.org or go to AMCC's website, www.akmarine.org. 6 A copy of the legislation may be found on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) website http: / /www. nmfs. noaa .gov /mediacenter /aquaculturel. Sen. Lisa Murkowski has been very critical of S.1195, which she deems "flawed" and has called for NOAA to develop a Legislative Environmental Impact Study to be submitted to Congress prior to any action being taken. To address her concerns with offshore aquaculture legislation, Sen. Lisa Murkowski has introduced the Natural Stock Conservation Act (S.796). Under this legislation, Congress would prevent NOAA from issuing offshore aquaculture permits until certain studies and analyses of socio- economic and environmental impacts are conducted. AMCC will continue to track both pieces of legislation and to alert our members when opportunities for action arise. Friends of Bristol Bay Update Continued from page 6 BRISTOL BAY STILL OFF LIMITS TO LEASING I am m TI COMM enerated by recent writing to dear up co press accounts, which indicated Congress was considering immediately opening the waters of Bristol Bay to mandatory oil of the Interior mecently floated a discussion never that That was would have opened the North Mention Shelf tto o offshore ma eno leasing starting in 2006 as part of a proposal split revenues from any new oil development with coastal states. But Congress never considered the proposal. I quickly contacted the Bush administration and expressed strong ng ay, opposition to any mandatory oil and g a s le si who negoliBed and the proposal was dropped. the terms for a comprehensive energy bill did roceed with funding coastal impact assistance to help producing stands to gain about $10 million over the next four years under the plan. M position is that Bristol Bay should remain under a presidential moratorium that prevents offshore oil and gas development until the areas residents are the lll bay's of r comfortable development can occur with armin process f in which all its environment. 1 also support a public can express their current views, and everyone's voice is dearly heard. The administrations trial balloon -coming without public li input - did not meet that standard, and g y opposed Lisa Murkowski An Letter to the editor, Anchorage Daily News, August 2, 2005 UN UNITY TRULY WELCOMES IT confusion g Thank you, Sen. Lisa Murkowski! Dear Elders, families, neighbors, fishermen and community leaders, We owe Sen. Lisa Murkowski a sincere thank you for her effective efforts in the last few weeks to prevent the federal government from mandating offshore oil and gas lease sales in Bristol Bay A would have provision equired proposed energy leasing Bristol Bay's ocean waters hat offshore drilling. This would have ended 16 years of protection for Bristol Bay without any public discussion and dismissed our community concerns that offshore drilling would jeopardize our valuable fisheries and subsistence traditions - a rich and irreplaceable heritage, So far at least 16 local governments, tribes and fishing associations have passed resolutions or sent letters either supporting continued protection from offshore drilling or supporting development only onshore. We deeply appreciate that Sen. Murkowski listened, considered and supported our community concerns. Having overcome this legislative proposal, the next step is to ensure that Bristol Bay is not included in the new federal offshore oil and gas leasing program under development by the U.S. Department of the Interior. It is critical that our state leaders hear our concerns. In particular, the Governor has an opportunity to recommend whether or not the federal government should consider offshore drilling in Bristol Bay. Despite these hurdles to jump, some things are looking up - we caught a lot of fish this summer in Bristol Bay and the price was up a notch. I hope you all have a good and safe hunting season. We live in one of the most beautiful places in the world and have a lot to be thankful for. Thank you very much, Norman Anderson Friends of Bristol Bay Coordinator Published in Bristol Bay Times, August 11, 2005 Staff News Welcome Kelly Harrell Normally, we have to say goodbye to our summer conservation intern come fall, but we are pleased to announce that Kelly is staying on board! Building on her impor- tant work with our Friends of Bristol Bay program, Kelly will continue to work with Norman Anderson, Friends of Bristol Bay Coordinator in Naknek, to help track off- shore oil and gas development in the region, develop information to share with coastal communities and advance ways to prevent drilling in Bristol Bay. We are all happy that Kelly decided to take a break from her studies at the University of British Columbia, where she is pursuing an M.A. in Resource Management, in order to stay on with AMCC and continue to support the Friends of Bristol Bay. Kelly's expertise, genu- ine care for Alaska's marine waters and communities, and enthusiasm shine through in her work, even when translating regulatory language into plain English. Welcome, Kelly! Farewell Rhonda Wayner As AMCC's Office Administrator, Rhonda tirelessly attended to details important to the day to day functioning of AMCC. At the end of July, Rhonda and her family moved to Unalaska. There she has been busy picking salmon berries, making jam and enjoying the rewards of small town life and more time with her husband Paul and children, Harmony and Reese. This fall Rhonda will be coaching the girl's basketball team, sub- stitute teaching and going back to school. Thank you, Rhonda for all of your hard work and dedication to AMCC these past three years, and for your cheerful disposition in the office. And thank you, Reese and Harmony, for your help in the office — especially shredding papers! Tracy Lohman Tracy wore many hats during her six years with AMCC, serving first as Office Administrator in 1999, then as Membership Director and most recently as Development Director. Always with an eye towards grow- ing AMCC's membership and involving our members, Tracy played a key role in building AMCC's membership program, helping to double our membership. Tracy also established our monthly donor and major donor programs, and produced Sea Change. Tracy has come full circle, returning to Alaska Community Share - where she worked before joining AMCC - to again serve as their executive director. Thank you for everything, Tracy! 8 Ben Enticknap Ben first came on board AMCC as avolun- teer intern in 1999. Then, in 2001, he joined the staff as Fisheries Project Coordinator. During his four years with AMCC, Ben sig- nificantly advanced our habitat conservation work, keeping us all apprised of the latest sci- ence on the importance of seafloor habitats to healthy fisheries and guiding our work to help identify and protect essential fish habitat. Earlier this year - and thanks in large part to Ben's work - some of our habitat goals were realized in the Aleutian Islands. In addition to his vital contribution to marine habitat protection, Ben also played a leading role in AMCC's efforts to minimize bycatch. And, his recent work to highlight the need for conservation of North Pacific rockfishes is invaluable to our efforts to improve management of these unique and vulnerable fishes. While we were all sad to see Ben go, we wish him the very best in his new position as Pacific Project Manager for Oceana in Portland. Thank you, Ben for your many contributions to AMCC and for your ongoing commitment to marine conservation. Travelogue APRIL Ocean Home opening, Haines AMCC's Ocean flame exhibit opened at the Sheldon Museum and Cultural Center on April 29. More than 30 people turned out on a glorious spring day to view the exhibit, listen to excerpts from the Ocean Home interviews and enjoy food from the Wild Strawberry. During the exhibit's time in Haines, AMCC and the Sheldon Museum co- sponsored a Thursday evening film series and a presentation on offshore aquaculture. MAY Ocean Horne opening, Seward The exhibit traveled from Haines to the Alaska SeaLife Center in Seward where it remained all summer where it was viewed by thou- sands of summer visitors, giving AMCC the opportunity to reach a different audience. JUNE - AUGUST Washington, D.C. Pete Hendrickson, Dave Kubiak and Theresa Peterson made trips to Washington, D.C. to meet with congressional offices about Magnuson - Stevens Act Reauthorization. They shared their experience as commer- cial fishermen to support strong conservation and community goals for future individual fishing quota programs. JULY Alaska Oceans Festival, Anchorage Bigger and better each year, the 3rd annual Alaska Oceans Festival fea- tured numerous educational and artist booths, live music and inspira- tional speakers. All day long, AMCC gave away free samples of smoked wild salmon donated by Valdez Fisheries Development Association. The morning drizzle didn't seem to dampen the celebration. Hundreds of people stopped by our booth (or was it just the same people coming back again and again for more fish ?) to view our display on the new offshore aquaculture bill and share their concerns about fish farming. AMCC gained 16 new members at the festival! qst AMCC booth at Alaska Oceans Festival. 9 The entire staff of the Sheldon Museum and Cultural Celt r in Haines, the Alaska` SeaLife Center in Seward and the Alaska Islands & Ocean Visitor Center in Homer for hosting our Ocean Home exhibit; Bobby Andrew of Dillingham and Scott Anderson of Port Heiden for meeting with congressional leaders in Washington, D.C. to show community support for continued protection of Bristol Bay from offshore oil and gas development; Pete Hendrickson and David' Kubiak for traveling, to Washington, D.C. to support conservation and community standards in any new individual fishing quota (IFQ) programs Wade and Wendy Willis of Vision Quest Adventures for their donation of a week -long kayaking trip to benefit AMCC; • Mike Wells and the Valdez Fisheries Development Association for donating more than 100 pounds of wild smoked silver salmon for our booth at the Alaska Oceans Festival in Anchorage; Annette and Marvin Bellamy for sending their fresh caught halibut to the Cape Cod Commercial Hook Fishermen's Association for their annual Hooker's Ball; • Peter Denmark of Alaska Sea Kayakers for donating seats on a Blackstone Bay kayaking trip to AMCC; • Bill Bechtol, Linda Behnken, Steve Berkeley, Bob Childers, Brent Fenty, Milton Love, Rebecca Reuter, Jon Warrenchuk and others for their time and expertise in reviewing AMCC's new report, Conservation and Management of North Pacific Rockfishes, and Mike Byerly and Bill Bechtol for their assis- tance with our rockfish poster; • Ben Jones for producing a map of Offshore Oil and Gas Leasing Areas to assist our Friends of Bristol Bay outreach efforts; • Rhonda, Paul, Reese and Harmony Wayner for their hospi- tality and for housing Kelly Harrell during the Aleutian Life Forum; • Tracy Lohman for helping to conduct our annual raffle. WHAT'S ON DECK For more information on AMCC's events and how to participate please call (907) 277 -5357 September 11 15 • Anchorage American Fisheries Society 135th Annual Meeting • September 13 - 15 • Anchorage Biology, Assessment, and Management of North Pacific Rockfishes 23rd Lowell Wakefield Fisheries Symposium September 14 - 17 • Anchorage Pribilof Islands Collaborative Meeting September 17 • Anchorage Marine Aquaculture Task Force Meeting October 3 -11 • Anchorage North Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC) Meeting October 21 - 23 • Homer AMCC Board Meeting October 22 • Homer AMCC Cast( Raffle Drawing at the Elks CI ovember 4 - 6 • Sit W haleFest; �? 1 0 Donate to the Hurricane Katrina Fishermen's Relief Fund AMCC joins the Cape Cod Commercial Hook Fishermen's Association (CCCHFA) and the Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance (NAMA) in efforts to raise funds to support fishermen whose boats and shoreside businesses were destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. For more information or to donate to the relief fund, please call CCCHFA at 508- 945 -2432. *yt AMCC seeks Office Administrator We are seeking a highly organized and detail- oriented person with bookkeeping experience for the position of Office Administrator in our Anchorage office. Responsibilities include: maintaining office account- ing and budget management systems; producing financial reports; coordinating and preparing annual budget; preparing for and oversee- ing annual audit; managing employee benefits, personnel and contract records; managing day -to -day operation of office systems; supporting field offices needs; coordinating board meeting logistics. Experience in QuickBooks Pro and a commitment to marine conservation highly desired. This is a 30 -40 hour per week position. Competitive salary plus benefits. TO APPLY, please send letter of interest and resume to amcc@akmarine.org, or mail to: AMCC, Attn: Office Administrator search, PO Box 101145, Anchorage, AK 99510. Position will remain open until filled. AMCC'S 11TH ANNUAL CASH RAFFLE Don't Gamble with the Future of Alaska's Fisheries - Take a Chance for Conservation! Only 350 tickets will be sold - make sure YOU get one! Each ticket costs $100 WIN CASH PRIZES! Last ticket drawn - $10,000 •Next to last ticket drawn - $1,500 100th, 200th, and 300th tickets drawn - $500 /each 1st, 25th, 50th, 75th, 125th, 150th, 175th, 225th, 250th, 275th and 325th tickets drawn - $250 /each Contact the AMCC Office NOW to receive your lucky ticket - (907) 277 -5357 Raffle drawing is Saturday, October 22nd, 2005 at the Elks Club in Homer. Need not be present to win. Permit #1820 Merchandise for Sale Consider giving a gift to your family or friends that is also a gift towards marine conservation. All proceeds benefit AMCC's work to protect habitat, prevent overfishing, and reduce bycatch. AMCC Cookbook Marine Cuisine: Recipes from Alaska's Fishing Families Share the bounty of Alaska's rich marine resources with your friends and neighbors with Alaska Marine Conservation Council's Marine Cuisine cookbook. This publication features over 65 recipes for a variety of seafoods and includes sauces, sides, and desserts. The book also features profiles on Alaska's fishing communities, AMCC members, and Alaska marine species. $12.95 plus shipping. Add $2.00 for shipping for first copy and $1.00 for each additional copy. Special bulk rate of $6.50 each plus shipping for orders of 10 or more. Living Marine Habitats of Alaska Marine Conservation Council From coastal waters to mysterious offshore environments, Living Marine Habitats of Alaska provides a glimpse into the wide diversity of the North Pacific and Bering Sea habitats and ecosystems. Learn about kelp forests, eelgrass meadows, sea whips and sea pens, cold -water corals, pinnacles and seamounts, king crab nursery grounds, and the Bering Sea ice edge! With full color photographs and informative text, this 16 page book explores some of the important habitats that make up the North Pacific and Bering Sea ecosys- tems. Published by Alaska Marine Conservation Council and Alaska Sea Grant. First copy FREE; additional copies $5.00 each. Price includes shipping. You can help safeguard the future health of Alaska's marine environment and the people who depend on it by making a permanent, long- lasting gift to AMCC's endowment. Your gift can also provide you with signifi- cant tax and financial benefits. Gifts to AMCC's endowment continue to earn money long after you've written the check. An endowment is like a very small Permanent Fund: contributions go in and annual investment earnings come out or are reinvested. Earnings provide a source of steady, reliable income to AMCC, which can be reinvested in years of abundance and drawn upon in times of need. 11 Canvas Hats Let your friends know you support Alaska Marine Conservation Council by wearing an AMCC hat! These also make great gifts. Each hat sports the AMCC logo on front and "Catch Fish Protect Habitat" on the back. All hats have a khaki crown. Please specify blue or green brim. $10 plus $1.50 shipping. Tote Bag These all purpose carry-alts are always in demand. Artist Terry Josey's illustration of the intricate web of sealife makes a great coloring project for kids, too. Value priced and well -made of durable cotton canvas and teal colored handle. $7.50 plus $1.50 shipping. Ocean Home Explore the values, traditions, thoughts and actions of Alaskans whose lives are sustained by the sea in this documentary publication. Ocean Home features black and white photographs by Homer fine arts photographer Alan J. Parks, and an essay by poet Wendy Erd weaving together the lives and values of coastal Alaskans. $10 each copy, includes shipping. Make Marine Conservation Your Lasting Legaccj WAYS TO CONTRIBUTE TO AMCC'S ENDOWMENT: • Give cash — this is simple! Cash gifts can include recog- nition of and memorials to friends and family mem- bers who themselves have valued and benefited from Alaska's marine heritage. • Add AMCC as a beneficiary of your life insurance policy. • Give by bequest. Put AMCC in your will. • Establish a charitable remainder trust. This allows you to receive lifetime income while providing AMCC with a future gift. • Give appreciated property (real estate, stocks, boats). Please make endowment donations to The Homer Foundation with "AMCC Fund" written on the memo line, and mail to the AMCC office. For more information about the endowment and ways to include AMCC in your financial planning, please contact the office (277 - 5357). Although AMCC does not give tax or legal advice, we can provide referrals to financial planning agents to help you maximize your financial benefits. Want to Join? Membership 1 want to help sustain and restore our marine resources. Please sign me up! _ $25 Individual $35 Family $15 Limited Income $50 Organization /Business $100 Contributor _$250 Major Donor _ $500 Benefactor _ I would like to contribute more than money Sign Me Up! Name Address City /State /Zip Phone Boat Name E -Mail Mail to: Alaska Marine Conservation Council PO Box 101145 Anchorage, Alaska 99510 -1145 Phone 907-277-5357(Kelp) • Fax 907 -277 -5975 ALASKA MARINE CONSERVATION COUNCIL P.O. Box 101145 Anchorage, Alaska 99510 -1145 I Can Help! The Alaska Marine Conservation Council is a grassroots organization that relies on the resources of its membership. _Letterwriting _Boat or small plane transportation Comments before decision - making bodies _Presentations in schools and other forums _Fund raising _Scientific review and guidance _Artwork/photography _Office assistance _Subsistence and local food for gatherings Community organizing _Legal advice _Translation (language: ) _Issue research Commercial airline coupons _Computer technical assistance _Humor and creativity _Writing and editing Other Is It Time For You To Renew? The address label on this newsletter includes your membership expiration date Please check it and make sure your mem- bership is current. The AMCC Anchorage office sends out renewal reminders, but it saves the organization money and resources if you renew early. Thank you. Please make checks payable to the Alaska Marine Conservation Council. Your contributions are tax deductible. 0 PRINTED ON RECYCLED. 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