Alaska and British Columbia are working out details of how they will handle transboundary mine concerns.
Fisheries
Halibut catch for Southeast Alaska could drop for 2017
Managers of halibut in the Pacific will be setting catch limits in January and could be considering a small decrease for commercial and guided sport fishing fleets in Southeast Alaska.
Walker proposes stable Fish and Game budget
Gov. Bill Walker proposed cutting about 45 positions and $3.5 million from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s 2018 budget last week, significantly smaller than the $11.5 million in cuts over the last two years.
Southeast’s Dungeness harvests lower than expected
The Dungeness crab fall harvest for Southeast Alaska was about 150,000 pounds lighter than managers expected and it’s far below the five-year average.
Atlantic Ocean Area The Size Of Virginia Protected From Deep-Water Fishing
Coral in an area in the Atlantic Ocean stretching from Connecticut to Virginia has been protected from deep-sea commercial fishing gear, by a new rule issued this week.
Report: 2016 was Arctic’s warmest year on record, effects are cascading down into ecosystem
This year was 6.3 degrees Fahrenheit hotter than 1900. Also, water temperatures in the Arctic were 9 degrees Fahrenheit higher than the recent average.
Congress boosts plans for new Craig boat harbor
A bill on its way to the president’s desk authorizes most of the money needed to build a new boat harbor in Craig. But the funding itself will wait for future congressional action.
New network of tribes expands toxic shellfish testing
A new lab in Sitka tests regularly for shellfish toxins and now is teaching more than a dozen tribes in the region to do the same. Global warming could increase the level of toxins, so tribes are working fast to take the mystery out of what’s blooming on their shores.
Beth Kerttula returns to Juneau with a message: It’s time to plan for ocean’s future
Kerttula helped two regions write the country’s first marine plans, and worked on some issues particularly important to Alaskans.
Researchers aim to protect the Bering Sea’s rare blue king crab while preserving fisheries
As the blue king crab population crashes, fishermen on St. Paul Island face more restrictions to reduce bycatch. But the rules to protect the crab also make it difficult to do research on the species.