Scientists will have increased capacity to forecast future outbreaks to support sustainable fisheries management. Bitter crab disease is caused by microscopic parasites. Scientists have documented that most infected Tanner crab and snow crab die in laboratory experiments, indicating that the disease can be lethal. Tanner crab and snow crab in the Bering Sea have historically […]
Dear Friends and Collegues, I am writing in response to this week’s news that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) expects a 10% cut to its workforce, starting Thursday, February 27, with the termination of all probationary employees. This news will likely have significant impacts on Alaskans, and seafood harvesters in particular. I wanted […]
The Alaska Marine Mammal Stranding Network and the Anchorage Community faced frigid temperatures to observe the deceased whale. On the evening of November 16, the NOAA Fisheries Alaska Statewide 24-hour Marine Mammal Stranding Hotline received a report of a dead whale. It had been found on the beach near the Coastal Trail in Anchorage. The […]
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) have received numerous inquiries related to Alaska Native marine mammal harvest eligibility and policy under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). Eligibility is governed by section 101(b) of the MMPA and regulations developed by both FWS (at 50 C.F.R. § 18.3) and […]