Archive for August, 2011
Mafia-Style Rule Over Alaskan Fisheries
Who Gets the Money?
Just as the majority of modern-day ruling powers, the Management Council reserves the rights to please any party they wish and this preferential power has come into question as of late, particularly this summer as this group shake hands under tables in order manipulate where this money goes.
To begin, we can tell you where this money is NOT going…the Management Council currently wants to take 1.4 million pounds of halibut away from local, ma and pop-owned establishments and hand it over to charter fishing businesses in Southcentral Alaska by giving it to commercial fisherman. Without keeping the local charter fishing companies in mind, the Management Council has the ability to bankrupt these small communities who are truly the heart of the Alaska Fisheries and have been for centuries.
The “Family’s” Reasoning
Before we jump to conclusions, let’s hear the mobsters out. According to recent research, the biomass of Halibut is steadily declining in the waters off Alaska. Due to the decreasing environment and therefore decreasing number of fish, the larger commercial fishing companies have been regulated on the amount of fish they’re allowed to catch in the area, while the smaller charter companies have actually been able to catch more.
This doesn’t account for the fact that the price of halibut has soared since the mid 90′s. In 1995, a pound of halibut was selling dockside for $2 a pound and today sells for nearly $6-7 per pound. Overall, the commercial fisherman are getting to work less, catch fewer fish, and making a lot more money.
Conclusion
Apparently, the “council family” has grown tired of the entire issue which leads us to believe that they’ll be reaching a decision soon. The question now lies, will this mafia-family of Fishery Management take the local plight into consideration when coming to their own conclusion, or will the commercial fisherman who produce more at a lower cost ultimately win reign of the Alaskan halibut coast?
Fishery adviser is guilty of $100,000 in illegal fishing
Arne Fuglvog, U.S. Senates Lisa Murkowski’s top fisheries advisor was a recent candidate to become head of the National Marine Fisheries Service. Now, Fuglvog is pleading guilty to $100,000 worth of illegal fishing.
Fuglvog was a commercial fisherman for many years and has been the top fisheries advisor for the North Pacific Fishery Management Council since 2006. This illegal fishing charge will cost him $150,000 in fines and restitution along with 10 months in prison.
In 2005, Fuglvog took 63,000 pounds of sablefish, which is nearly twice what he was allowed to catch. Then he falsified the records to suggest that half of the fish had been caught in the central gulf instead of the Gulf of Alaska as they were.
Fuglvog has pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor violation of the Lacey Act which was set in place to fight trafficking in illegally taken wildlife, fish and plants.