A federal judge from Washington state handed down a ruling this week that could stop the king salmon trolling throughout Southeast Alaska this summer.
The decision is based on the case which was filed over three years ago by a conservation organization based in Washington known as Wild Fish Conservancy that aims to protect a small number of orcas.
The case is about the issue of whether Alaska fishermen are permitted to catch king salmon that are thought to be the most important prey for Southern resident killer whales.
The KCAW’s Robert Woolsey has been following the case from Sitka which is located in the midst of the Southeast salmon troll fishing area and is unsure if the King fishery will close this summer remains a mystery.
Listen:
The transcript that follows has been lightly edited to improve clarity.
Robert Woolsey: If you read this order and read the text, you will see that the wording in the order states that indeed, they’re calling for a halt to the troll fishing season this summer. But both the state as well as the Alaska Trollers Association, who are plaintiffs in the lawsuit, have filed a notice to appeal the decision to the Ninth Circuit Court. They’ll likely seek an extension of the stay until the appeal has been heard. Therefore, it’s possible that fishing could happen this summer. It’s an unanswered question, however.
Casey Grove: Yes. And I believe that uncertainty can be quite difficult for fishermen who are trying to prepare for the season or determine if they need to get prepared to go out for the year. I’d like to know more about what the implications could be for the fleet. First, we need to go back. What is the source of this lawsuit from? What exactly does it intend to accomplish?
Robert Woolsey: The whole thing got real in the month of December 2022 when a U.S. District Court judge in western Washington named Judge Michelle Peterson issued a report and a recommendation that was in the direction of almost everything that the Wild Fish Conservancy was asking for. It was the Wild Fish Conservancy, in its lawsuit, had claimed against they believed that the National Marine Fisheries Service had breached certain sections of the Endangered Species Act and the National Environmental Policy Act in not adequately assessing the effects on the Chinook fishing industry on the gravely endangered killer whale population within Puget Sound. Therefore, the report and its recommendation had to be confirmed by a different U.S. District Court judge. This happened on Tuesday in which the judge Richard Jones basically issued a two-page ruling saying, “This is it. And I’m directing that the National Marine Fisheries Service to correct the mistakes. Also, I’m removing the document, which is referred to as an”Incidental Take Declaration.” A incidental Take Statement is required to allow a fishery to be opened which could affect the threatened species. Therefore, the Incidental Take Statement, which permits Chinook fishing to occur in the southeast of Alaska during summer, and also in winter, is being vacated.
Casey Grove: This is all about King salmon in Alaska’s waters. However, the orcas are often near Seattle as it is a major city and which is growing. There are additional environmental factors that are happening there. What are people saying about this?
Robert Woolsey: Everyone comes to this Casey even our Congress delegation. They all released statements saying this lawsuit is absurd, mostly because it fails to consider the most likely dangers to Southern Resident Killer Whales, which include industrial toxins as well as the population of Puget Sound area, vessel traffic, and all the additional sources which are likely to be causing more harm to the animals as opposed to the harvesting of what are really a small amount of fish found in Southeast Alaska. In other words, the 2023 troll harvest allocations are just 149,000 Kingfish. This isn’t millions of fish being sucked up by fishermen in Alaska.
Casey Grove: It’s possible that this influences the judge or the Wild Fish Conservancy, who is sure, but I think the right thing to be saying is that if this fishery is closed, it’s going to have a major impact on these people and their families. What are your thoughts from them regarding this? What’s the effect going to be to Southeast Alaska in general, in the event that this fishery is closed?
Robert Woolsey: Trollers are a type of famous Alaska fisherman’s vessel. Fishing is ongoing since the days of territorial rule. Trollers are equipped with these poles that stretch out and then they glide effortlessly over the water, and catch fish one at a. Every king salmon, every coho salmon, and every fish they bring in and catch, is caught in one go. Pound for one pound, a troll caught King salmon is among one of the top fish caught in Alaska. It’s possible that a King salmon is worth more to Alaska than an oil barrel. The fishery is lucrative on the docks. It’s worth approximately $15 million. In the state, there are around 1 800 permits to fish for salmon using hand and power trolling. However, only a small portion of them could be fishing at any given time. When the catch are offered to a processor, and the processor makes them available for sale and they are absorbed into the economy, that $13 million gets multiplied numerous times. This is going to have an enormous impact. However, I’m not sure it’s an end to trolling particularly because chum salmon have been so popular in recent times. It’s also a loss to those who have been fishing this fishing or taking part in this fishing activity for several generations. It’s an affront to everyone who believes that Alaska has gone to great lengths to protect this species, but it’s taken away based on an issue of technicality.
