Norton Sound disaster declaration

Federal officials this week approved a disaster declaration for the 2019 Norton Sound red king crab fishery.

Seining way up north

This 2021 Norton Sound salmon season outlook says "there will be an experimental purse seine fishery targeting pink salmon."

Crab crisis?

The Board of Fisheries has scheduled a March 16 special meeting to consider an emergency petition to close the Norton Sound commercial red king crab fishery for the remainder of 2021.

Norton Sound king crab to open with lower quota

The Norton Sound summer red king crab fishery is set to open at noon Wednesday. Here's the official announcement.

The overall quota of 382,800 pounds is about 23 percent lower than last year's 495,600 pounds.

A couple of shellfish notes

The Norton Sound red king crab summer season opens at noon tomorrow with a quota of 495,600 pounds.

Alaska's weathervane scallop fishery opened yesterday. Area harvest limits look much the same this year as last. Details here.

Togiak herring haul worth ho-hum $2.9 million

Here's the official summary of the recently concluded Togiak sac roe herring season.

As previously reported, the catch was impressive at 28,808 tons.

The estimated grounds price was not so impressive at $100 per ton for both seine and gillnet fish. That puts the ex-vessel value of the fishery at $2.88 million.

It's possible, of course, that post-season adjustments could improve the payoff for fishermen.

Farther north, the Norton Sound sac roe herring fishery opens at 6 this evening. Icy details here.

Big season for big crab in Norton Sound

The 2012-13 Norton Sound winter king crab season ends at noon Wednesday, and boy has it been a good one.

"Congratulations to Norton Sound commercial fishermen on the best winter crab season in our area's history," the Alaska Department of Fish and Game said in a news release. "To date, the commercial catch this season of over 19,600 crabs is more than twice the previous record of 9,625 crabs caught during the first winter commercial season of 1977-78."

The price also has been record-setting at an average of $6.67 per pound.

At least 25 crabbers have made deliveries.

Norton Sound's king crab feast

Norton Sound permit holders took 440,000 pounds of red king crab this summer in the open access fishery.

It was the biggest catch since 1986 and produced a record $2.4 million payday for crabbers, the Department of Fish and Game reports.

Feeling happily crabby in Nome

Norton Sound crabbers are expected to achieve their full quota of 430,540 pounds of red king crab by this weekend, when the season will close.

More details in this announcement from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.

Move over salmon, here come the king crab!

This time of year, salmon really begins to dominate the Alaska commercial fisheries waterfront.

But that doesn't mean we don't have other action going on.

Case in point: The Norton Sound red king crab summer fishery opens at noon tomorrow.

The quota is 465,450 pounds, with 430,540 pounds allocated to the open access fishery and 34,910 pounds reserved for the Community Development Quota fishery.

Last year's harvest totaled 400,840 pounds. The average price was $5.23 per pound, the highest ever, producing a record fishery value of just over $2 million, the Department of Fish and Game says.

We could see a new record this season as the major buyer, Norton Sound Seafood Products, has announced price increases. Find more details here.

Congratulations, Norton Sound crabbers!

The Norton Sound winter king crab fishery is scheduled to close on Tuesday, and it will end on a happy note.

"Congratulations to Norton Sound fishermen on one of the best winter crab seasons in history," says this announcement from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. "The commercial catch so far this season of over 8,500 crabs is second only to the first winter commercial season in 1977-78 when 9,625 crabs were caught."

A fine salmon season for Norton Sound

Among Alaska's salmon producing regions, Norton Sound is small potatoes. But local fishermen scored big this season.

The salmon harvest was worth nearly $1.27 million off the boat. That's not only a new record for the second season in a row, it's more than 200 percent above the recent 10-year average of $420,720.

A strong chum run highlighted the action in Norton Sound.

Lots more details here.

Big money for big crab in Norton Sound

The recently concluded Norton Sound red king crab fishery generated a record ex-vessel value. Read all about it here.

Back with bits and pieces

Deckboss apologizes for his silence the past few days. Had some nonfish business to deal with.

To catch up, here are a few news nuggets I'm sure you'll find interesting.

• The Copper River District has produced a catch of 2 million sockeye so far this season, which is pretty awesome. Gillnetters managed only about 636,000 last year.

• The Prince William Sound shrimp pot fishery will close for the season at 10 p.m. Friday. Why? Because shrimpers by then are expected to max out the 52,760-pound quota. Last year's harvest came in at 45,349 pounds, well short of the 55,000-pound limit.

• The Norton Sound red king crab fishery also will close Friday, at noon. Crabbers are expected to hit the 331,150-pound quota by then.

• We know more now about the outcome of the big Togiak sac roe herring fishery back in May. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game puts the total value of the huge 22,699-ton harvest at about $2.3 million, based on an estimated grounds price of $100 per ton. Last year, Togiak herring paid $150 per ton, not counting any post-season adjustments.

• I haven't read it yet, but here's an independent review the states of Alaska and Washington commissioned on the recent federal biological opinion regarding commercial fishing effects on endangered Steller sea lions. The BiOp resulted in the closure of significant fishing grounds out the Aleutian chain — and provoked an ongoing lawsuit.

Norton Sound herring pays gillnetters $339 a ton

Here's a summary of Norton Sound's herring fishery from Norton Sound Economic Development Corp.

June 30, 2011

Norton Sound herring harvest sets another record for roe recovery

NOME — Norton Sound herring fishermen in June topped their own high mark set a year ago by harvesting herring with an all-time record recovery of roe.

The 744 tons of herring harvested this year were comprised of 14.8 percent roe, on average. The previous record, set last year by Norton Sound harvesters, was 13.5 percent roe recovery.

In total, approximately 25 Norton Sound herring fishermen harvested 810 tons of herring, of which 66 tons were directed to a bait fishery.

Fishermen were paid out a total of more than $274,700 for the entire fishery, an average of $339 per ton.

Prices paid per ton were determined by a sliding scale depending on the roe percentage. Roe recovery ranged from 9 percent to 20 percent, with the majority of the harvest coming in between 13 and 17 percent. Fishermen harvested the herring with gillnets.

Norton Sound Economic Development Corp. has worked to bring a herring buyer to the region for the last two years to conduct a fishery after several years of no commercial herring fishing.

Through an agreement with NSEDC, Icicle Seafoods brought a processing vessel and tenders to Norton Sound in 2010 and 2011.

The roe harvested is sold as a luxury food item in Japan and is often given out during the holidays as gifts.

In addition to negotiating an agreement with Icicle, NSEDC supports the fishery through aerial surveys to determine when the fishing effort should begin and to direct fishermen to high-quality herring once the fishery commences.

This year, biologists from NSEDC's Norton Sound Fisheries Research and Development division flew 29 hours during 15 flights in support of the fishery.

"We would like to thank all our resident fishermen as well as the great crew Icicle brought to Norton Sound. From the crews of the processing vessel and tenders to the aerial survey support, Icicle provided excellent service to all aspects of the fishery," said Reese Huhta, southern manager for NSEDC's Norton Sound Seafood Products.

Plans finalized for Norton Sound herring fishery

Norton Sound Economic Development Corp. and Icicle Seafoods Inc. have put together a deal to support a sac roe herring fishery in Norton Sound.

"Icicle Seafoods will bring a processing vessel to Norton Sound to purchase herring from resident fishermen," says an NSEDC press release issued today. "Icicle will also bring four tender vessels to the region to facilitate the fast-paced fishery.

"The Norton Sound fishery generally opens three weeks after the Togiak opener farther south. Current estimates would put this year's Norton Sound opener, which is always subject to change, at the end of May.

"The harvest target for 2011 is set at 1,000 tons. Fishermen will be paid on a sliding scale according to the percentage of roe recovery."

The herring will pay between $190 and $350 a ton, depending on roe content, with herring for bait paying $50 a ton, the press release says.

Last year's sac roe herring fishery, the first held since 2006, attracted nearly 30 boats.

NSEDC is a nonprofit established under the federal Community Development Quota program. It represents 15 communities including Nome and outlying villages.

Norton Sound Seafood House to make its debut

Nome cooking on Concourse C.

Now this sounds tasty. A grand opening ceremony for the new Norton Sound Seafood House at the Anchorage airport is set for 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tuesday.

The Norton Sound Economic Development Corp., one of Alaska's Community Development Quota fishing companies, is partnering on the themed restaurant with HMSHost, a global shopping and dining concessionaire with a contract at the airport.

The eatery is expected to offer items such as halibut po' boys and king crab cakes. But we'll see for sure once the place opens.

The airport location is a marketing coup for Norton Sound, which harvests a share of Bering Sea fish and crab for the benefit of a group of villages in the Nome area.

"The Norton Sound Seafood House is a showcase of the fisheries, resources and the small-boat fishermen of remote Northwest Alaska," says a press release sent out last week.

Update on lost Norton Sound gillnetter

The body of salmon fisherman Thomas Sagoonick, 36, of Shaktoolik, has been found.

Local residents discovered the body washed up on the beach Sunday, said Beth Ipsen, a spokeswoman for the Alaska State Troopers.

Sagoonick and two crewmen, Clarence Savetilik Jr., 24, and Brian Savetilik, 19, both of Shaktoolik, were in a small boat laden with salmon when it capsized in rough waters Friday, Ipsen said.

Villagers managed to save the two crewmen, who were clinging to a buoy, troopers said.

Norton Sound gillnetter lost, two saved

The missing fisherman named in this item holds a commercial salmon gillnet permit for Norton Sound.

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Shaktoolik
Type: Search and rescue
On 7/16/10 at 1510 hours the Alaska State Troopers received a report of a capsized fishing boat near Shaktoolik. Two crewmen were found clinging to a buoy and were rescued. The third crewman, Thomas Sagoonick, 36, of Shaktoolik, has not been located. Personal flotation devices were not used.

News from Nome

The summer open access fishery for Norton Sound red king crab starts at noon today with a quota of 370,000 pounds.