When you last heard from AMCC, we were reeling from the discovery that our organization had been embezzled. So many of you – former board members, coastal Alas-kans, near and distant friends – went well beyond the call of duty by responding with financial contributions and other kinds of support to help us through the storm. Our foundation supporters went the extra mile to help us over the hump. Volunteers filled in gaps. And hundreds of you turned out for community events and festivities. We made it together. For all of that and from the bottom of our hearts, we are immensely grateful. Our goal was to put things back in order and for the work to continue without skipping a beat. A lot of good work happened over the summer and fall and we hope you were able to stay informed through electronic updates and our website. This newsletter provides a report on our programs to advance conservation solutions that address the rela-tionship between healthy marine ecosystems, strong local economies and coastal traditions. We all know that communities are complicated and, especially when it comes to fisheries, there are as many opinions as there are people involved. But we do our best to navigate complex issues, rely on good information and stand behind conservation as the backbone of long-term sustainability. AMCC’s work is not just a series of projects – it is about our lives as coastal Alaskans. I’m proud to say that our program is 100% community-based and the issues are vital to our future. Finally, the AMCC Board of Directors thanks Dorothy Childers for stepping in as our interim executive di-rector last May. We are happy to allow her to return to the program director position where her heart is and to announce the appointment of Kelly Harrell as our new executive director beginning in January. Kelly first came to AMCC in 2005 as an intern while she was pursuing a master’s degree in marine policy. She has since been directing AMCC’s Friends of Bristol Bay program. It is a great pleasure to bring young and promising talent into this leadership role at AMCC. Please join me in welcoming Kelly! With deep gratitude for your support, we send the very best wishes to our members, supporters and friends this holiday season,

Dave Kubiak, Chair

Dave Kubiak, AMCC board chair, is the owner/operator of F/V Mythos in Kodiak. Photo by Rich MacIntosh

From the Chair

December 2009

Sea Change

Alaska Native people living on the coast, keen observers of the world around us, are witnessing changes in seasonal patterns, sea ice and animals. Scientific surveys show that during a recent series of es-pecially warm years, 45 species of fish shifted the center of their range northward. While ocean temperatures vary year-to-year, the trend over time is expected to be warming. Commercially valuable fish spe-cies are expected to occupy more north-ern waters, inviting large-scale fishing fleets to expand operations into new areas. In 2011 federal fishery managers will adopt a research plan to study the effects of trawling in the northern area. They will consider what areas are important for ma-rine mammals, crab populations, endan-gered or threatened species and subsis-

tence. In the future there could be commer-cial-scale bottom trawling based on a plan

intended to protect sen-sitive areas. AMCC is assisting the Bering Sea Elders Advi-sory Group, a collabora-tion between 37 tribal governments. We are developing GIS maps

showing areas important

for subsistence based on local and traditional knowledge and science about walrus, ice seals, birds and fish that villages rely on. In November the Elders Group hosted a 3-day summit of the Yukon/ Kuskokwim participat-ing tribes. A Nome region summit is planned for mid-winter.

For more information, please contact Muriel Morse, muriel@akmarine.org ; Dorothy Childers, dorothy@akmarine.org (907) 277-5357 and www.beringseaelders.net

Bering Sea Board of Directors Dave Kubiak, Chair Kodiak

Karl Ohls, Vice-chair Anchorage

Pete Wedin, Vice-chair Homer

Judy Brakel, Secretary Gustavus

Terry Hoefferle, Treasurer Dillingham

Dave Beebe, Petersburg

Switgard Duesterloh, Kodiak

Mark Munro, Homer

Paul Olson, Sitka

Walter Sargent, Kodiak

Leigh Thomet, Kodiak

Jon Zuck, Anchorage

Staff Kelly Harrell Executive Director kelly@akmarine.org

Dorothy Childers Program Director dorothy@akmarine.org

Alan Parks Homer Outreach alan@akmarine.org

Theresa Peterson Kodiak Outreach theresa@akmarine.org

Muriel Morse Western Alaska Outreach muriel@akmarine.org

Dan Strickland Bristol Bay Fisheries Liaison dan@akmarine.org

Julia Beaty Admin/Program Assistant julia@akmarine.org

Phone: (907) 277-5357 Fax: (907) 277-5975

Website: www.akmarine.org PO Box 101145

Anchorage, AK 99510

Photo Credit: A. Trites

Ocean Acidification

Over the last couple of years AMCC has sponsored visits by scientists to our communities to present research and realities about ocean acidification – the “other” CO2 emissions problem. As the ocean absorbs an excessive amount of carbon dioxide from the air, a chemical reaction lowers the pH level causing ocean waters to become corrosive to corals and shell forming animals, like crab and some zooplankton, important to the food web. Continued on Page 3

September 6, 2009—Fishermen & mariners spoke up in Kachemak Bay.

The Tanner crab fishery is vital to diversified fishermen on Kodiak Island. But in recent years federal fishery managers have designed regulations for groundfish fisheries that are increasing bottom trawling in areas important for crab. Starting several years ago, AMCC mapped crab locations based on local knowledge which overlap closely with scientific surveys. We have since promoted proposals for zon-ing bottom trawl fisheries to re-duce conflict with sensitive crab grounds. A confounding factor has been gaps in bycatch data to accurately de-scribe the scale of the problem in different fishing gears. But pictures are worth a thousand words. In

October the North Pacific Fishery Management Council selected 4 ar-eas on the east side of Kodiak, rep-resenting high Tanner crab abun-dance, in which management meas-ures will be considered in 2010. The options they plan to consider in-clude year-round or seasonal clo-sures to trawl and/or fixed gear fish-eries. On another front, equitable access to Gulf of Alaska fisheries is a grow-ing concern as fishery managers close the door to entry and make regulations that foster consolidation of permits into fewer hands. The cod fishery is a current hot topic because it is everyone’s fish to share – jig, longline, pot and trawl. AMCC has focused on ensuring the jig sec-tor is able to grow as a clean, low impact, small boat fishery. Success came in December when the North Pacific Fishery Management Council approved the jig fleet’s request for up to 6% of the annual cod alloca-tion. At the same time, the Obama ad-ministration is developing policies on catch shares – or limited access sys-tems. See the new NOAA Catch Share Task Force report: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/domes_fish/catchshare/index.htm. AMCC is promoting careful design of any catch share program to ensure measurable objectives for 1) conser-vation and 2) equitable access for community-based fishermen and the next generation. For more information, please contact: Theresa Peterson, Kodiak (907) 486-2991; theresa@akmarine.org

Kodiak Island Conservation & Working Water Fronts

In October, federal fishery managers were presented with photographs (taken by crew on an undisclosed

trawl vessel operating in a proposed crab protection area) showing

scandalous amounts of crab bycatch.

Reduction in carbon dioxide emis-sions is critical for reversing ocean acidification. Citizen groups and community leaders are endeavor-ing to improve energy efficiency, increase energy production from wind, solar and hydro power and engage in deliberations over na-tional climate change policy. People in the fishing industry are learning and talking about the rami-fications for business, both in terms of harm to fisheries sustain-ability caused by acidification and, on the other hand, potential cost of carbon emissions reduction to fishing vessel operations. Alaska’s senators know the science and accept the need for action. A true science-based approach demands that we cut carbon emissions (below 1990 level) 20% by 2020 and 80% by 2050. The goal needs to be a cap on emissions. How legislation and federal rules should and will unfold to achieve the goal is on the front burner now. The details certainly matter. But let’s keep our eye on the prize – achieving the science-based cap on emissions to avert serious damage to Alaska’s ocean systems and the fisheries we rely on. To add your voice to 400 fisher-men calling for solutions to ocean acidification and climate change, see www.akmarine.org. For more information, please contact: Alan Parks, Homer (907) 235-3826; alan@akmarine.org

Acidification, con’t

In April, Secretary Salazar and Sen. Mark Begich held a town hall meet-ing in Dillingham where residents delivered clear support for protect-ing Bristol Bay. Also that month the DC Court of Appeals found the current 2007-2012 OCS Leasing Program was prepared using a flawed environmental sensitivity analysis. The court required a new analysis which will allow reconsid-eration of the 2011 Bristol Bay sale.

In September, the Interior Depart-ment received comments urging protection from 1,000 Bristol Bay fishermen, dozens of fishing organi-zations and related businesses, Alaska Native Tribes and over 300,000 concerned Americans. NOAA recommended removal of Bristol Bay lease sales and Sen. Be-gich sent comments questioning the wisdom of oil and gas leasing in the region.

Interior Department decisions on the current 5-year plan are ex-pected in the very near future, while decisions on the proposed new 2010-2015 plan may take more time.

Offshore oil and gas drilling was well on its way to forever changing fish-rich Bristol Bay and the south-east Bering Sea when President Bush left office a year ago. Deci-sions made then to lease 5.6 million acres of Bristol Bay threaten our global wild salmon stronghold as well as habitat for halibut, crab, cod, pollock and more. Crucial de-cisions are now in the hands of the Obama administration.

Tremendous progress has been made over past months by Bristol Bay communities, fishing industry leaders and conservation partners in educating Secretary of the Inte-rior Salazar on the solid reasons for leaving Bristol Bay out of the drilling equation.

Secretary Salazar announced last February that he would conduct a thorough review of the proposed 2010-2015 OCS Leasing Program, which he inherited from the previ-ous administration. The proposed new plan is unprecedented in that it would overlap the 2007-2012 OCS Leasing Program that is cur-rently in place and includes not only the 2011 Bristol Bay sale, but an additional sale in 2014.

These pending decisions offer prom-ise for removing the immediate threat, but a permanent protection solution is ultimately needed. Bristol Bay was off limits to drilling for nearly 17 years, but the means of protection was ephemeral and van-ished when political tides turned. That’s why enduring legislative action by Congress or the White House is the next critical step.

For more information, please contact: Dan Strickland, dan@akmarine.org Kelly Harrell, kelly@akmarine.org (907) 277-5357

The Bristol Bay region is at risk from proposed mining at the headwaters and offshore drilling in marine waters. For more information on Pebble Mine and the BLM mining district, visit Nunamta Aulukestai (“Caretakers of Our Land”) website: http://www.nunamta.org/ .

Obama Administration Offers Hope for Bristol Bay’s Future

AMCC’s program is currently supported by the generosity of our members and foundations:

1Sky, 444S Foundation, Alaska Conservation Foundation, Harder Foundation, Kenney Brothers Foundation,

Marisla Foundation, Moore Family Foundation, National Park Service, Oak Foundation, Ocean Foundation, Patagonia,

Pew Charitable Trusts, Thoresen Foundation, True North Foundation & Wolfensohn Family Foundation.

We thank all our volunteers including professional support provided by Diana DeFazio, Sophia Foley, Jen Gordon,

SJ Klein, Tracy Lohman, Kimbrough Mauney, Sharon Rudolph, Tom Tilden, Joanne Wishart,

Nancy Wallace & Rhonda Wayner.

Offshore Aquaculture Through the work of Paula Terrel in Juneau, AMCC has helped to lead a collaboration between fishing, conser-vation and food safety groups around the U.S. to op-pose authorization of fish farming in federal waters. Despite funding shortfalls, at AMCC, Paula continues to work as a volunteer. We appreciate her dedication, which she has generously given for the benefit of ma-rine conservation and all who value or rely on wild Alaska fisheries. Federal legislation is expected. We will review bills against strict environmental and socio-economic standards and provide useful updates at www.akmarine.org.