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In this Newsletter
Now more than ever, you need strong representation for your business and SEAGO is there to fight on your behalf. With your financial support we can continue to be a strong voice throughout SouthEast. Some very important meetings and organizational issues are coming up that require guide/lodge owner participation. Your membership dues will let SEAGO continue to be your representative as we face multiple key issues including: five upcoming Board of Fisheries meetings with the usual toxic proposals, a devastating halibut catch sharing plan, halibut Moratorium implementation, sport fish guide bill, the formation of the Alaska Fishing Association, and more. Please take a moment to join or renew your membership SEAGO. And because there is strength in numbers, ask a friend to join too!Please click here now to join or to renew your membership. Thanks in advance for your continued support of SEAGO.
This summer a number of guides received “late logbook submission” citations for failure to comply with NMFS (National Marine Fisheries Service), regulations even though they contradict ADF&G instructions. ADF&G has provided active support in this matter (hats off to them!) and recently received assurances from NMFS that the issue will be resolved. Details are still forthcoming. We will continue to follow-up until this problem is resolved. See the original SEAGO News Release at http://www.seagoalaska.org/newsletters/2009-08-21-alert.html. We have recommended to following course of action to NMFS:
p.s. If you know of anyone who has been cited, please ask them to contact our Executive Director, John Blair at john@seagoalaska.org.
Here is the report published by ADF&G showing the past 3 years of logbook data and a summary spreadsheet SEAGO put together. Page one shows summary data and the page two shows segmentation by geography. Contrary to the commercial propaganda about out-of-control charter fleet growth, the data show that the Southeast guides business was flat for the past three years and we know that 2009 will show a decline. Further we can expect 2010 to show further decline if the Moratorium is implemented on time. Also contrary to the propaganda, note that the halibut catch was flat. There has been recent correspondence about IPHC/NPFMC using these data instead of their SWHS method. This could become a key issue as future allocations and the Catch Sharing Plans are determined.
SEAGO responded to ADF&G’s request for user input as they update their five year plans.
The Board of Fisheries has published a list of Agenda Change Requests to be considered at the October 2009 meeting – list is here http://www.boards.adfg.state.ak.us/fishinfo/meetinfo/2009-2010/Worksession/acr2009-2010.pdf . SEAGO has responded to items #4 and #8 in writing here and will attend the October BOF meeting in Anchorage. The BOF has also published a list of proposals to be considered at the State wide meeting next March which includes twenty nine proposals that will require our intervention. You can download a copy here: http://www.boards.adfg.state.ak.us/fishinfo/meetinfo/2009-2010/state-props.pdf The BOF meeting schedule for 2009-10 is here: http://www.boards.adfg.state.ak.us/fishinfo/meetinfo/fcal.php . SEAGO is planning to attend all meetings to represent Southeast sportfishing issues
A web conference will be held on Monday, December 7, 2009 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM PST to discuss preliminary catch limits for 2010. You can register in advance here: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/844383267
Two phone conference meetings were conducted last month regarding the formation of the statewide fishermen’s organization, the Alaska Fishing Association. The goal of this initiative is to build upon the gains made during the last AK legislative session. SEAGO has directly participated in preparation of draft organizational bylaws. It is anticipated that the bylaws will be finalized in October. Many thanks to the Kenai River Sportfishing Association, KRSA, for taking the leadership role in this important program.
SEAGO searches the Internet for articles that have relevance to Alaska fishing. Please forward any interesting articles you find to John Blair john@seagoalaska.org and we will publish them in our next newsletter. Note that some of the links are time sensitive and may be non-functional by the time you receive this newsletter; we apologize in advance. Finally, please understand that SEAGO does not necessarily agree the contents of any of these articles. Here are some recent stories found around the internet:
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