searun
Well-Known Member
I think some will find this blog that I saw today on: http://www.salmontrolling.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=326 to be very interesting indeed!!!This is a Commercial Trolling Blog for Alaska Trollers. The clip contained below is a response from the Exec Director of the Alaska Trollers Association in response to an expected 51% reduction in the overall Commercial quota. Enjoy
"Just writing to give you a heads up about a press release coming soon from ADFG. I was just informed today that the Southeast chinook quota number is out - and it's very low.
The 2008 All-Gear quota is 170,000, which is a 51% reduction from 2007. Every gear type is taking a big hit. The troll portion is 125,370. Roughly 9,000 have been taken in the winter fishery so far.
The ADFG news release is not out yet, but I wanted you to be aware for your planning purposes. And since the number is based on forecasted abundance, it will be difficult for me to say much, publically, beyond expressing concern for the fleet and our communities. We want the public to know that fishermen in Alaska take conservation seriously. That said, I want you all to understand our concern for the welfare of our industry and that we do what we can to groundtruth these significant cuts.
I want to emphasize that the 2008 quota is based on the current Treaty agreement and has nothing to do with this year's negotiations, which are not going so well. A Treaty meeting in early May will be telling as to where things will head.
ATA will need additional resources in the coming months to defend the fleet's fair access to chinook on many different fronts. We have hired some contract help and are already expending organizational resources, but the budget is wearing thin. Hopefully you will be willing and able to assist ATA with this effort in a variety of ways. Direct donations to the cause and/or assistance with travel costs are immediate ways to help.
For additional information, please plan to attend the joint ADFG/ATA port meetings. Petersburg, Wrangell, and Yakutat dates are still in flux, but here are the meetings already scheduled:
Monday April 14 Ketchikan Fish & Game Conference Room 7pm
Tuesday April 15 Craig City Hall 11am
Wednesday April 16 Hoonah US Forest Service 10am
Wednesday April 16 Pelican City Hall 1pm
Wednesday April 16 Juneau ADFG Headquarters 6:30pm
I realize that some out there are frustrated with the lack of information coming out of the office these days and I'm very sorry for that. Both the ATA Board and myself care a great deal about customer service and this is a difficult situation for us all. ATA has a staff of one, and way too many high priority bases to cover. Some of the issues, like Treaty/ESA, occur under the cloak of US/Canada confidentiality and demand a lot of time and energy that you rarely hear about. Other priorities include Board of Fisheries, Fish Farming, USCG Safety regulations, potential new EPA discharge requirements - the list of 'other' issues is long. Right at this moment we have one board member heading to the NPFMC for halibut and trawl issues, and another on the ground in DC discussing a wide array of topics. I have three Treaty travel meetings on my calendar just this month, in addition to port meetings. Working the issues that impact the troll fleet is a time-consuming and costly endeavor, which, with ever-rising costs, hasn't left much for additional staff. So, I do hope you'll bear with me when it takes longer than it should to respond. And, maybe give a shout to your local board member to see what they know. They try hard to stay up to speed.
We very much appreciate the support of our members and hope that those of you who have been holding out will sign up soon (Dues levels vary, with entry level starting at: $300 powertroll / $200 Handtroll / $75 crew / $500 processor / $250 Support Business). The troll industry needs a united front!
No Surrender!
Dale Kelley, Executive Director
Alaska Trollers Association
130 Seward #205 Juneau, AK 99801 [/blue]
