Salmon Panel Gets OK

Funding for the state's participation in the Pacific Salmon Commission, a key panel in Alaska's commercial fishing relationship with Canada, was included in the passage last month by Congress of the omnibus spending bill.

http://thearcticsounder.com/news/story/1083

More cooperation between Canada and Alaska to protect native fisheries is a wonderful thing. The state of Alaska will also be providing additional funding for the panel.

Learn more about Alaska salmon fishing

Don't Lie on Your Fishing License

"Soldiers helping themselves to a military discount when getting an Alaska hunting or fishing license might take note of what happened in Fairbanks last week."
http://www.adn.com/outdoors/story/248531.html

It only seems fair that residents should be the only ones benefiting from Alaska resident fishing license rates. Anyone altering their resident status to save a few bucks on a fishing license deserves to pay the price whatever it may be. It's good to know that officers are checking the facts on fishing licenses for enforcement.

Want to know how to get a fishing license for Alaska? Read more on Alaska fishing licenses

Passing on Wisdom to Young Fishermen

"Alaska commercial fishing veterans Robin Samuelsen and Arne Fuglvog told young harvesters Dec. 11 they are the industry's future, and encouraged their full participation in both the fisheries and the regulatory process that governs the harvest."
http://www.alaskajournal.com/stories/123007/hom_20071230009.shtml

It's a great thing when wisdom is shared across generations. Promoting Alaska fishery and respect for the environment will only help continue Alaska's commercial industry.

Are you a novice fisherman? Learn more about Alaskan fish species

A Good Year for Alaska Fishing

"Commercial fishing in Alaska remains a vibrant industry that each year provides more than half of our nation's seafood. Alaska's fish stocks are the envy of other countries around the world, and its management programs are regarded as a model for sustainability."
What more needs to be said? "

http://www.adn.com/money/story/249369.html

Alaska's fishing popularity is growing larger and larger. With the rise of awareness regarding farm raised versus wild caught salmon, Alaskan salmon is some of the most coveted. - These are some of the positive results of an overview of Alaska's fishing in 2007. It appears that things can only get better in 2008.

Read more about Fishing in Alaska

New Legislation to Protect Alaska's Fish and Wildlife

Alaska State Representative Craig Johnson is introducing a bill to protect Alaska's native fish and game. The Wildlife Violator Compact would help wildlife enforcement by keeping wildlife violators at bay through revocation of licenses. Basically, there are "member" states that participate in the Wildlife Violator Compact (WVC), and these states share a database. The database holds records for wildlife fishing and game violators. If violators don't answer charges in one state, they wouldn't be able to get a hunting or fishing license in another member state. Read the entire proposal here

Kind of like sexual violator databases, the WVC would keep tabs on those who commit crimes, at least until they answered their charges in a court of law. The idea behind it is that wildlife violators should be brought to justice like other criminals, they shouldn't be able to just skip states and escape responsibility for their violations.

Protecting Alaska's native wildlife is what allows us to continue enjoying Alaska fishing and other outdoor pursuits. The WVC keeps our interests in mind to that end. But, the question is, for those who don't know the law and commit crimes that must be answered in court, is this law fair?

Imagine if you were a tourist visiting Alaska and you kept a fish that should have been released (like a smaller rainbow trout.) You get caught. What if the penalty isn't just a fine, but a court appearance? Many are unable to fly back to Alaska for a court date due to the high cost of airfare. The WVC would ensure that the visitor might not be able to fish in their home state. Should a violation like that be punished this way?

Seems to me that this legislation would help our wildlife enforcement officers and make it easier to identify wildlife violators, keeping Alaska's fish and wildlife safe, but it needs to be done in a manner that is fair. Every state has different regulations and some are certainly more strict and better enforced than others.

Another Reason to Eat Wild Alaskan Salmon

We all know that wild salmon is better than farmed salmon. With the research in this article, there are lots of good reasons to stick to eating wild salmon instead of farm-raised. For those who live in Alaska, the choice is an easy and even economic one. For other people living across the USA, it seems that the only options are to buy wild Alaskan salmon or eat canned pink salmon.

"We live in a fast-paced consumerist culture, so it shouldn't surprise you that what happened to our poultry and cattle farming through the years is being mirrored in salmon farming..."
http://washingtontimes.com/article/20071107/FOOD/111070020/1017/food

Fishermen Who Don't Want King Salmon

Can you imagine fishermen being unhappy with catching king salmon? Well, for commercial Pollack fishermen, that is the case. They may face restrictions and fishing caps if they end up with too many king salmon in their nets. Meanwhile, the bycatch could mean trouble for Alaska's king salmon populations and the sport fishermen who love them.

"The Bering Sea pollock fishery is one of the world's largest commercial seafood harvests, and times are good overall. But the fleet is facing a dangerous problem -- salmon bycatch, or the unintended netting of chinook and chum salmon that swim with the pollock..."
http://www.adn.com/money/industries/fishing/story/9424156p-9336428c.html

Find out more about Alaskan king salmon fishing