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Fish Factor: Alaska’s largest crab fishery; Dunleavy discusses bycatch; & More...By LAINE WELCH - It’s hard to believe, but Dungeness crab in the Gulf of Alaska is now Alaska’s largest crab fishery – a distinction due to the collapse of stocks in the Bering Sea. 

Combined Dungeness catches so far from Southeast and the westward region (Kodiak, Chignik and the Alaska Peninsula) totaled over 7.5 million pounds as the last pots were being pulled at the end of October. 

Ranking second is golden king crab taken along the Aleutian Islands with a harvest by four boats of about 6 million pounds. 

For snow crab, long the Bering Sea’s most productive shellfish fishery, the catch was cut by 88% to 5.6 million pounds this season. 

The Gulf’s Dungeness fishery will provide a nice payday for crabbers. The dungies, which weigh just over two pounds on average, were fetching $4.21 per pound for 209 permit holders at Southeast who will share in the value of over $14 million. 

The price was slightly higher at $4.25 for 54 westward region crabbers where catches will bring in nearly $18 million at the docks. 

And unlike the revenues generated by the Bering Sea crab fisheries, the Dungeness dollars will remain in Alaska communities where nearly all of the crabbers call home.  

Documents from NOAA Fisheries for 2019/2020 show that 52 Alaska residents own 31% of the Bering Sea snow crab quota share pool while 200 non-residents own 66% of the quota pool.

Similar proportions apply for Tanner crab. For Bristol Bay red king crab, closed this season for the first time in 25 years, 49 Alaskans own 28% of the quota share pool; 181 Outsiders own 70% of the crab shares.

For snow crab, gross revenues to harvesters totaled $108.38 million based on an average price of $3.98 per pound. Fifteen Alaska-based vessels took 24% of the dockside dollars while 36 Washington-based boats took 64%. 

For Bristol Bay red king crab, gross earnings were $44.8 million, based on an average price of $11.87 per pound.  Eighteen of the permit holders were Alaska-based and pocketed 28% of the revenues, while 41 non-residents pocketed 72% of the landed crab values.

Dunleavy discusses bycatch: 

Bycatch of salmon, halibut and crab continues to dominate fishery discussions among Alaska commercial, sport and subsistence groups. But the topic has drawn little, if any, comment among Alaska’s elected officials or those running for office. 

Governor Mike Dunleavy shared his thoughts recently on The Alaska Outdoor Podcast with Caleb Martin , saying bycatch is “on the front burner” with his administration. 

“We need to get some answers so we can better understand this and better respond to what's happening. But it's certainly a serious issue that is getting our full attention,” he said, adding that a “whole host of reasons” need to be considered far beyond the Bering Sea.

Focusing primarily on bycatch of Chinook salmon, Dunleavy said, “I mean, people have come up, for example, with ideas on some of the fishing issues in South Central Alaska or other parts of Alaska that it could be pike, it could be beaver dams. In the Mat-Su, it could be culverts, it could be bycatch. It could be changes in the temperature in the water, it could be the changes in the food supply in the oceans, it could be other types of high seas water issues or quality issues, feed issues. And so I think we have to look at everything to really approach this from a scientific perspective.” 

The podcaster pointed out that Canada took tough regulatory steps to greatly reduce bycatch   in just a year in some cases. Might Alaska do the same, he asked? 

“So that's been discussed, as well as a whole host of other issues,” the governor said. “Because, again, we want to make sure that we're not missing anything as we go through these studies and we research these issues. We want to make sure that we don't overlook something but you know, bycatch is something that's certainly being discussed.” 

Martin asked if the State of Alaska has officially commented on reducing Bering Sea halibut bycatch to federal managers.

“I have no doubt that our fish folks, starting with our commissioner and the individuals that work for the State of Alaska in our Fish and Game department will be having discussions and comments on the issue,” Dunleavy said.

Candidate for governor, Les Gara, so far is the only other pol who has commented on bycatch in an opinion piece  saying: “I believe Outside factory trawlers that drag the ocean floor can’t be good for fish or crab habitat. They’re a part of the loss of king and chum salmon, as well as other fish and crab around the state. We should let science and local knowledge guide better policies to reduce factory trawler bycatch and the dumping of tons of dead fish overboard. Commercial, subsistence and sportfishing should bind us together to protect what we have, for Alaskans who fish for income, food, culture or enjoyment.”   - More...
Wednesday PM - November 03, 2021  

Southeast Alaska: Student interns from Kake contribute to local climate change studies - During the summer of 2021, two students from Kake participated in Alaska Sea Grant’s Community Engaged Internship (CEI). The internship is designed for undergraduate students from underrepresented and Indigenous communities, with the goal to engage students in place-based projects that respect and integrate local ways of knowing.

Simon Friday and Willow Jackson both worked on the ocean monitoring team for the Kake Climate Partnership under the mentorship of Dr. Elizabeth Figus, an Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy postdoctoral fellow, and EPA Environmental Program staff in Kake. The Kake Climate Partnership was formed in 2020 by the Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF), together with the Organized Village of Kake, Kake Tribal Corporation, and the City of Kake. The partners work together to conduct climate research and adaptation planning that provides tangible benefits to the community.

Simon Friday, a UAF undergraduate student in the College of Liberal Arts, started his eight-week CEI internship in May, as the ocean monitoring team in Kake was preparing for a busy summer sampling season. Simon worked with the Kake ocean monitoring team in 2020, so he quickly advanced to a leadership role in the field and in the lab. In addition to leading ocean sampling events, Simon mentored and supervised high school research assistants, trained other summer interns, and managed sample processing, storage and shipping at the lab in Kake. He also assisted with a research film about the ocean monitoring program.

On a trip to Juneau, Simon was able to meet with his CEI mentor, Dr. Figus, and tour the UAF College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences campus. Simon worked with Dr. Figus to design and complete an independent project, with the goal of situating Indigenous literature and culture at the forefront of his professional development. He spent time reviewing Indigenous studies literature and podcasts, volunteering at the Culture Camp in Kake, and documenting his 2021 subsistence harvests.

Simon is planning to work with Dr. Figus again during the spring of 2022 to expand his CEI independent project into a senior thesis at UAF.

Willow Jackson began her internship with the Kake Climate Partnership in late June. She quickly developed skills and became an asset to the team. Over the course of her internship, Willow took on additional responsibility in her monitoring activities, mentored and supervised high school research assistants, and managed sample processing, storage, and shipping at the lab in Kake. Like Simon, she volunteered at the Culture Camp and contributed to the ocean monitoring program research film. - More...
Wednesday PM - November 03, 2021

Southeast Alaska: Tlingit & Haida Endorses Alaskans for Better Government’s Ballot Initiative – With the full support of the Executive Council, the Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska (Tlingit & Haida) has endorsed the Alaskans for Better Government’s ballot initiative ( Alaska Tribal Recognition Act ).

The historic ballot initiative proposes to amend the uncodified law of the State of Alaska to officially recognize the 229 federally recognized tribes in Alaska and the State’s responsibility to engage in a meaningful government-to-government relationship with tribes.

Alaskans for Better Government is a non-partisan group created specifically for the citizen-led initiative and is co-sponsored by Richard Chalyee Éesh Peterson, Elizabeth La quen náay Medicine Crow and Barbara Wáahlaal Gíidaak Blake. The ballot initiative is modeled after House Bill (HB) 123, a bill sponsored by Representative Tiffany Zulkosky (D-Bethel, District 38) which is in the state Senate after passing the Alaska House of Representatives earlier this year.

Quoting a news release from Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska, the State of Alaska’s formal recognition of Alaska tribes is long overdue. In many ways, the ballot initiative looks to resolve and mend a long and troubled history and relationship between the State of Alaska and tribes which has often ebbed and flowed with changes in administration, policy and legal opinion and led to contention, ambiguity, and inconsistency in the treatment of Alaska tribes. - More...
Wednesday PM - November 03, 2021

Harriett Hunt Lake
The Harriett Hunt Lake road is at the foregeround of the lake, and George Inlet is pictured in the background. 
SitNews Front Page Photo By KEN ARRIOLA ©2021
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email your photo(s) to editor@sitnews.us

Friday’s forecast illustrates the state’s revenue improvement of an additional $1.2 billion for FY 2022 and $1.0 billion in FY 2023 as compared to the previous forecast.  The total amount of expected UGF revenue is $5,975.5 billion for FY2022 and $6,128.6 billion for FY2023.  Commissioner Mahoney stated, “Recent oil price increases have significantly improved our current fiscal situation and I’m pleased to report that the outlook for Alaska’s budget is good.  We are optimistic about the current oil price and production trends”.

The oil and gas revenue forecast is developed by the Department’s Economic Research Group by utilizing the Brent futures market to estimate oil prices.  The Department’s Spring 2021 forecast estimated FY 2022 prices to be $61.00 per barrel with North Slope production of 459,700 barrels per day.  This updated forecast reflects an increased price of $81.31 per barrel with 488,400 per day North Slope production.  Current market prices for ANS West Coast oil are $85.50 per barrel as of October 28, 2021.

The Department of Natural Resources develops the production forecast which has near-term increases from the Spring 2021 Forecast to North Slope production for FY 2022 and FY 2023 due to the resumption of drilling and favorable oil prices.  The newly revised production forecast has decreased from the last forecast starting in FY 2024 due primarily to the increased uncertainty for large projects caused by federal litigation and financing issues. - More...
Wednesday PM - November 03, 2021

Alaska: DEC Proposes Improvements to Spill Prevention and Contingency Plans - The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) posted proposed changes to the regulations for Oil Discharge Prevention and Contingency Plans and Streamlined Plans (plans) for public comment on Monday November 1. Certain vessels, railroads, pipelines, and oil terminal facilities must have approved plans to lawfully operate in the state. 

“The goal is absolutely to maintain Alaska’s high standards for environmental protection, while also modernizing plan-holder requirements and ending ‘administranglia’ for our plan holders that takes their focus and resources away from the things that really matter,”  said DEC Commissioner Jason Brune. “In the end, we want to see contingency plans that are very effective for preventing and responding to spills and don’t get caught up things that are duplicative, inefficient, or no longer work.” 

Over two years, DEC sought input from industry and stakeholders regarding how the plan requirements could be improved. The Department held meetings, made presentations, and undertook a five-month public scoping project that generated 350 comments from 130 separate individuals and organizations. 

One significant change is merging and streamlining the requirements for what must be in a plan with the criteria DEC will use when approving plans. Previously these had been in two separate sections of the regulations, leading to confusion over what was required. Another improvement is to clarify what operators can expect during DEC inspections, and to incorporate virtual technology into the department's oversight regimen where it will improve the outcome. Communication methods, records requirements, requirements for submitting plans, and public notice requirements have all been modernized to reflect current technology. - More...
Wednesday PM - November 03, 2021

Solo Adventure on the Savonoski Loop
By BJORN DIHLE
Bear viewers and bears at Brooks Falls.
By Glen Aronson ©

Alaska: Solo Adventure on the Savonoski Loop By BJORN DIHLE - Bristol Bay may be most famous for having the world’s biggest run of sockeye and unparalleled fishing opportunities. Its watersheds also have incredible adventure opportunities — everything from day trips to epic Bilbo Baggins’ sort of journeys. A while back, my friend Glen Aronson was taking time off from work and decided to do the Savonoski Loop—an 80-mile lake and river paddle that begins and ends at Brooks Camp on Naknek Lake. It’s named for Savonoski Village, a Native settlement at the mouth of the Savonoski River that was destroyed in 1912 eruption that formed the volcano Novarupta and Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes. Considered the biggest eruption in the 20th century, Novarupta unleashed three cubic miles of magma and ash and covered more than three thousand square miles in ash more than a foot deep.

“From what I had heard, the Savonoski Loop seemed like a totally manageable solo trip,” Glen said.

Glen had bought an Alpacka packraft the spring before. Weighing just six pounds and packing down to the size of a sleeping bag, packrafts are a gamechanger when it comes to backcountry wanders. Glen had taken care to learn the basics of packrafting. He started with practicing capsizing and getting back into his packraft on a lake, paddling rivers close to town and then, paddling the Tlikikila River, which drains into Lake Clark National Park and Preserve. He even took a whitewater packrafting class.

In July, Glen set out to do the Savonoski Loop. He flew from King Salmon to Brooks Camp, where upwards of three hundred people visit during peak season to photograph brown bears at Brooks Falls.

“The place was at capacity. It was this strange improvised human settlement with bear highways running through it,” Glen said.

A ranger immediately gave him a bear safety talk. Afterward Glen asked if they had any information on the Savonoski Loop. The ranger told him, ‘Nope, but a guy died a couple weeks ago on nearby American Creek because the water is super high.’

Glen, surrounded by incredulous, staring tourists, paddled away that afternoon. Naknek Lake is notorious for dangerous winds that come on suddenly. The wind picked up soon after Glen began a two-mile crossing and blew him off course. He made a point to camp on small islands and follow strict protocol with his food to avoid attracting bears. The days turned into a simple routine. He saw neither people nor wildlife as he paddled to Fure’s Cabin, where there’s a 1.5-mile portage trail to Lake Grosvenor.

“Lake Grosvenor is like a fjord and had a darker energy. The mountains seem taller, and the woods felt darker,” Glen said.

He made camp on a bank on the southern end of Lake Grosvenor near where it meets the Savonoski River. The forecast called for a lot of rain to begin the following night. Knowing how high the water already was, Glen was eager to be done with the river before it got any bigger. That night he awoke to the sound of something big coming up to his tent. Instead of making contact, the animal leapt off the bank and cannon-balled into the lake. - More...
Wednesday PM - November 03, 2021

Friday marked a crucial step forward in providing permanent protection to the Bristol Bay watershed as the Federal District Court officially cleared the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to reinitiate the Clean Water Act 404(c) process that would allow for the agency to protect Bristol Bay. In this decision resolving the lawsuit Bristol Bay Economic Development Corporation et al. v. Pirzadeh et al. the court vacated the previous decision by the Trump administration to withdraw proposed protections for Bristol Bay and remanded the action back to the agency to resume the process. 

With this court case finally settled, the Biden administration and EPA can now resume the 404(c) process to permanently Bristol Bay which produces more than 50% of the world’s supply of wild-caught sockeye salmon, supports tens of thousands of jobs, and is home to some of the last intact salmon-based tribal communities in the world. 

“The specter of a massive open-pit mine and waste dump has been looming over the biggest, wildest, most productive sockeye salmon run on the planet for long enough. Pebble threatens livelihoods. It threatens salmon. And it threatens people,” said SalmonState Executive Director Tim Bristol. “Now that the courts have put the ball back in the EPA’s court, it’s up to the EPA to listen to its scientists and to Alaskans, to finish the job, and to end the threat of the proposed Pebble Mine before the salmon return.”

Over a decade after Bristol Bay’s tribes, fishermen, and millions of Americans initially called on the EPA to finalize protection for Bristol Bay, an end to this battle is finally on the horizon. Bristol Bay’s Tribes and fishermen are calling on this administration to finish the job and complete the 404(c) process by June 2022. 

“The court's action officially clears the path for EPA and the Biden Administration to fulfill their commitments to protect Bristol Bay. The science is clear and overwhelming - development of the Pebble Mine would irreversibly damage the Bristol Bay watershed, the greatest salmon stronghold left on earth and tens of thousands of people who depend on it for their livelihoods,” said Katherine Carscallen, Executive Director of Commercial Fishermen for Bristol Bay. - More...
Wednesday PM - November 03, 2021

Analysis: Gun rights at the Supreme Court: Justices will consider if the fundamental right to keep a gun at home applies to carrying weapons in public BY MORGAN MARIETTA - The Supreme Court heard arguments today, on a clear question: Does the constitutional right to possess a gun extend outside the home? The answer may alter gun regulations in many states.

The crux of the issue before the court is captured by a debate that Thomas Jefferson had with himself at the time of the founding.

When Jefferson was drafting a proposed constitution for his home state of Virginia in June 1776, he suggested a clause that read “No freeman shall ever be debarred the use of arms.”

In the second draft, he added in brackets, “[within his own lands or tenements].”

Jefferson’s debate with himself captures the question posed to the court: Is the purpose of the right to “keep and bear arms” the protection of a citizen’s “own lands,” or is it self-protection in general? Does the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution recognize a right to keep and bear arms in the home, or a right to “keep” firearms in the home and also “bear” them outside of the home for protection in society?

The plaintiffs in the upcoming case New York Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen want the court to strike down the state’s restrictions and allow citizens who meet basic requirements, such as having no criminal convictions, to carry concealed weapons.

Gun in the house

There are surprisingly few Supreme Court rulings on the meaning of the Second Amendment.

The question of whether the amendment recognizes a fundamental right – on par with free speech or free exercise of religion – was not decided until 2008 in the landmark ruling in District of Columbia v. Heller. For the first time, the court recognized a clear individual right to bear arms for the purpose of self-defense. This deeply disputed 5-4 ruling was expanded two years later to cover state laws.

The Heller ruling stated that the Second Amendment’s right is like the others in the Bill of Rights, which cannot be violated without the most compelling reasons. The amendment, the ruling says, “surely elevates above all other interests the right of law-abiding, responsible citizens to use arms in defense of hearth and home.” The Washington, D.C., law intended to reduce crime cannot ban firearms in “the home, where the need for defense of self, family, and property is most acute.”

That ruling – written by Justice Antonin Scalia, who died in 2016 and was replaced by Justice Neil Gorsuch – also recognized that “like most rights, the right secured by the Second Amendment is not unlimited.” Scalia cited regulations like “longstanding prohibitions on the possession of firearms by felons and the mentally ill” or “prohibitions on carrying concealed weapons” as “presumptively lawful.”

The principal dissent was written by Justice Stephen Breyer, the only dissenter in Heller still serving on the court. He emphasized the balance between core rights and the needs for public safety.

“If a resident has a handgun in the home that he can use for self-defense,” wrote Breyer, “then he has a handgun in the home that he can use to commit suicide or engage in acts of domestic violence.”

State governments follow very different procedures for determining who will be allowed to carry a concealed firearm outside of the home.

“Open carry,” or just having a handgun in plain sight on a belt holster or carrying a long gun (rifle or shotgun), is actually legal in many places. The general idea is that carrying openly would be done only by an honest actor, so less regulation is needed. “Concealed carry,” having a hidden weapon in a pocket or under a jacket, is far more restricted.

At one end of the continuum are near-bans on what are called “concealed carry licenses,” while at the other end are states in which no license is needed. These laws are referred to as “constitutional carry,” meaning the U.S. Constitution itself is a citizen’s license to carry a firearm.

In between these two positions are rules known as “shall issue,” whereby the government issues a license if the applicant meets the requirements such as having no felony convictions, or “may issue,” which gives the government discretion to deny a license based on perceptions of fitness.

New York state has “may issue” laws with stringent requirements, which in practice allow almost no licenses to be issued. Applicants must demonstrate a “proper cause” – such as being in imminent danger from a known source – which effectively eliminates ordinary applicants. - More...
Wednesday PM - November 03, 2021

DAVE KIFFER: On the (Creek) Road - So, one of the unintended consequences of THE GREAT CRUISE SHIP COVID SHUTDOWN OF 20-21 has been the loss of a significant source of summer humor.

Let's face it, that as irritated that - for example - Creek Street business workers get having to answer the question "where is Creek Street" a dozen or so times a day, there is a certain amount of humor generated by the level of cluelessness displayed by some visitors to Our Fair Salmon City.

That humor is usually lost in the moment and usually only seems "funny" when recalled in the depths of winter at a Monthly Grind months later, but recounting the cluelessness is indeed humorous. In much the same way that a sharp rap on one's humerus is funny.

Well, certainly not initially, but eventually,  otherwise why call it a funny bone? - More...
Wednesday PM - November 03, 2021

MONEY MATTERS: INCREASE YOUR RETIREMENT INCOME AND OFFSET INFLATION By MARY LYNNE DAHL , Certified Financial Planner ™ Retired - For most people, retirement means getting income from any/all retirement plans that have been accumulated during the working years. Some people get a pension, and sometimes that pension is adjusted annually for inflation. This is called “inflation proofing”. It results in annual increases that are designed to offset the increased costs of living, like groceries, utilities, gas, heating fuel, clothing, medications and travel, just to name a few of the routine expenses of life. Over time, inflation can do a lot of damage to the monthly income that a retiree has to depend on, so “inflation proofing” is not just a good idea, it is a necessity.

Nowadays, however, fewer and fewer people actually have a pension, of any kind, upon retirement. Instead, they more often retire with a 401-K plan, a 403-b plan, a deferred compensation plan or a combination of plans. In addition, many retirees have an IRA or ROTH account as well. All of these retirement plans can and should provide income at retirement, but how much income will depend on how each plan has been and continues to be invested. - More...
Wednesday PM - November 03, 2021

FINANCIAL FOCUS: Build your ‘cash’ account before retiring Provided By BEN EDWARDS, AAMS® - If you’re going to retire in the next few years, you’ll want to start thinking about making some changes to your investment portfolio. And one area you may want to look at is whatever type of cash account you might have – because, when you’re retired, the amount of cash you have readily available may be even more important than when you were working.

Your cash management account could pay a slightly higher rate than a typical savings account, as well as serving as a holding place for funds that may eventually be transferred to other investments. Furthermore, it can provide you with these benefits:

• You can pay for emergency expenses. You might be retired, but life goes on – and life is full of unexpected expenses, such as a new furnace or a costly auto repair. It’s a good idea for retirees to keep at least three months of living expenses in a separate cash account, which can help pay for emergencies without forcing you to dip into your longer-term investments. - More...
Wednesday PM - November 03, 2021

Political Cartoon: Election Lessons Learned
by Kevin Siers ©2021, The Charlotte Observer, NC
Distributed to subscribers by CagleCartoons.com

Political Cartoon: Biden Flying Kites
by Dick Wright©2021, PoliticalCartoons.com
Distributed to subscribers by CagleCartoons.com

Political Cartoon: My body, my choice
by John Darkow ©2021, Columbia Missourian
Distributed to subscribers by CagleCartoons.com