The 2010 US Census will start in the little village of Noorvik in Northern Alaska. The Inupiat population is around 650 people, there are no roads linking the village to the rest of the state. So census workers will fly in and then use snowmobiles and dog sleds. The village has a subsistence lifestyle with the people depending on caribou, fish, moose, waterfowl and berries for survival. The Census bureau plans to hire an extra 2500 workers to go door to door in the state of Alaska covering 586000 square miles.
The US census is carried out very ten years and mostly uses first class mail to survey residents but not everyone has a postal address. Its a mammoth task and one that costs the Government a great deal of money this years budget is $14 billion with a $130 million advertising campaign. But the data is very valuable giving a snapshot into America today.
The Navy held a meeting last Thursday in Kodiak to hear from residents about their proposal to increase training in the area. Kodiak residents have reservations about the Navy’s plans in fact a representative from The Alaska Marine Conservation Council has concerns. In particular related to the underwater noise from sonar.
The Navy uses the area to conduct carrier strike training with submarines it is very fond of the area and the conditions are good for training. However it overlaps with the habitat for white whale, halibut and the migratory path of salmon. The Navy states that it has a good track record of marine stewardship and is open to discussion.
The public has till Jan 25th to post comments on the proposal - http://www.gulfofalaskanavyeis.com/GetInvolved.aspx
The Cleveland volcano on the western half of the Chuginadak island in the central Aleutian islands of Alaska, is spewing ash up to 20,000 feet into the air.
The volcano has an elevation of 5, 676 feet and sits on an uninhabited island 75 km south of Nikolski with 100 in habitants and 940 miles southwest of Anchorage. The threat level has been raised to orange at the present time by the Alaska Volcano Observatory. The 20,000 feet ash plum simply dispersed over the bering sea and doesn’t seem to be anything to worry about.
Last June this was a common occurrence and the ash was bothersome for the fishing vessels in the area. For up to date information on the volcanos activity see the Alaska Volcano Observatories website.
The National transportation safety board will recommend that the coast guard ask congress permission to inspect our nations fishing fleets. The current recommendations are related to the enquiry into the sinking of Alaska’s Ranger last March. This incident resulted in 5 people losing their lives and 42 people being rescued in treacherous conditions. The vessel is still 6000 feet below the sea.
Fishing is a dangerous job, with fisherman often having to risk their lives in 20-25 foot swells and 25 knot winds, working in isolated and vast area’s like Alaska’s Bering sea. There are more lives lost per million fisherman than any other profession.
The investigation into the sinking of the ranger still has many unanswered questions alcohol may have even been a factor but one thing is for sure, stricter regulations of fishing fleets are needed, to protect the safety of the fisherman. Currently vessel inspections are voluntary but this may change and become mandatory.
There have been a range of issues facing the Alaskan fisheries in the last few years ranging from the issues of global warming and warmer water, declining salmon numbers on their return home to spawn and now sea otters.
These creatures can grow up to 4 feet long and weight 90lb, once nearly hunted to extinction by Russian fur traders in the 18-19th centuries. They were reintroduced to South East Alaska in the 1960’s by the Alaskan Department of fish and game. The otters have a large appetite and are very partial to crab, sea cucumbers, urchins and clams, they are able to eat 25% of their body weight each day.
In 1995 they were blamed for the collapse of the abalone fishery in the State.
In recent times there have been reports by fisherman of declining numbers of crab, sea cucumber and urchins when fishing and it is felt that the otters are to blame. Sea cucumber and urchin fishing have been closed down to give the population a chance to re populate.
The fish and game department office aims to start studying the sea otters more closely in the future to assess numbers and to see how commercial fisherman and the protected creatures can co exist.
Jumbo squid that can reach up to 110lb and a staggering 7 feet long and can eat precious salmon are moving north. They are known as diablos rojos in Mexico or red devils and have even been known to attack divers, historically they live around Peru and South America but are becoming increasingly common along the Pacific Northwest. Scientists think it may be due to the effects of global warming and increasing ocean temperatures.
In recent years fishermen have started to find the squid in their nets of the coast of Oregan and Washington State. In the past they were regarded as transient visitors and now they seem to be new residents of the area. In 2005 the squid were even seen as far north as Sitka Alaska.
It may also be due to the overfishing of their regular food hence the reason for moving north to look for more, but no one really knows. They eat krill, lantern, shrimp, sardines other squid and salmon. Eating a mamouth 15% of their own body weight a day.
Although Scientists are not sure if the squid are affecting the salmon populations, that have been dropping in recent years. The squid also eat the food of smaller marine mammals such as seals and sea lions thus forcing them to eat more salmon.
The State Department of Fish and Wildlife is giving fisherman a chance to sell any of the squid that they accidently catch along with the salmon in the State of Washington. Fisherman are pleased with the new rule as they fear that the squid will affect salmon numbers and in turn their livelihood.
An Alaskan Marine Scientist from the University of Fairbanks states that Alaskan waters are turning acidic from absorbing greenhouse gases, faster than tropical waters. This has the potential to threaten Alaska’s 4.6 billion dollar fishing industry. Mr. Jeremy Mathis is quoted in the Anchorage Daily News as saying “Ecosystems in Alaska are going to take a hit from ocean acidification”
Some of the effects of global warming include melting glaciers and coastal erosion, both of which Alaskan is experiencing. Ocean acidification is closely linked to increased levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The ocean plays a very important role in absorbing carbon dioxide in fact it absorbs 22 million tonnes from human activities on a daily basis.
Last spring scientists collected water from the gulf of Alaska and the Bering and Chukchi sea’s and discovered that it was more acidic than usual.
Marine creatures use calcium carbonate to built their skeletons. But when levels of carbon dioxide are high, it gets dissolved as carbonic acid and decreases calcium carbonate. This is a worry as crabs and other organisms need calcium carbonate for their shells. However so far they have been able to adapt to the acidity.
Another factor is the fact that Alaskan waters are shallow and mix less with deeper oceans this in turn increases acidity. It is well known that this year fewer salmon have returned home to spawn, while it is not clear if it is related to the acidity of the ocean, the ecosystems are stressed.
The university plans to study the effects of increased acidity on pollock so we understand more.
The Secretary of Commence approved a plan that the Marine Conversation Alliance lobbied for, to prohibit commercial fishing in the waters of the Arctic. The area is some 200,000 miles north of the Bering Strait and believed to be rich in cod, pollock and snow crab. It has never been actively fished but due to recent climate changes and the melting of the ice caps it is slowly becoming a lot more accessible. Thus there are fears that this could all change and fishing fleets will start to work in the area.
This is an historical event as it is the first time in American history that a fishery has been closed due to environmental reasons and not due to over fishing.
The reasoning behind the move to ban fishing in the area is to buy time to get a handle on the area’s resources and put a sustainable fishing plan in place. The fish in the area are also a much needed food source to marine mammals and birds and due to climate change their food supply is in short supply. It is also likely that salmon and pollock will migrate to these waters as they get warmer.
America is setting a shining example to the world on how to plan ahead and protect resources.
Cod has been on the top 10 seafood list in America for the last five years. Famous for its mild taste, firm texture and big flakes, it lends itself to be cooked in a variety of ways such as baking, broiling, poaching or frying, its commonly dipped in batter and fried in the UK and eaten with chips.
The Alaskan cod season opened on August 15th this year in Alaska’s Bering sea, it has a limit of 36,000 metric tons or over 79 million pounds. Then later in in September the Gulf of Alaska’s season opens with an additional 20,000 metric tonnes or 44 million pounds for harvest.
Interestingly, 95% of the cod eaten in the US is caught in the Pacific with the most common place being Alaska. Thankfully Alaska’s Cod supply is abundant and sustainable thanks to good management practices-this is not the case in the UK, Canada and other Atlantic countries where cod is in danger of being over fished.
Cod is a great source of protein. In fact, a 3.5 ounce serving contains 22g and only 105kcal and less than 1g of fat. It is also an excellent source of omega 3 fatty acids, a good source of phosphorus, niacin and vitamin B12. The livers of cod are processed to make cod liver oil, rich in vitamin D, Vitamin A and Omega 3 fatty acids.
So why not try this wonderful and most versatile fish all the while knowing it is in good supply.
Alaska is celebrating 50 years of Statehood this year, with a commemorative coin, license plate and stamp. It gained statehood in 1959. Before this time it was classed as a territory after Secretary of State William H Seward purchased the area from the Russians for $7.2 million in 1867.
The land was bought for its mineral wealth, salmon and timber and also as a last frontier for America. After many years of political upheaval and times of economic hardship, it became a state in 1959.
This year is truly a great time to visit Alaska in fact, the State of Alaska is putting on special events and exhibitions throughout the year to attract new travelers.
The Anchorage museum has an exhibition on life in Alaska leading to statehood. There were special fireworks and a parade for Independence Day, and the Fairbanks Opera had a special Gala to honor the 50th year of Statehood. In August the state will celebrate Hawaii’s 50th year with music and food from the Islands. (Probably a lot of seafood dishes!)
Tour companies are also doing special deals! Some of these specials to mark the anniversary are:
Phillips Cruises and Tours is taking 50% of its 26 Glacier Tour for folks turning 50 this year
Waterfall Lodge near Ketchikan famous for fishing is taking 50% of prices on select dates
Temsco Helicopters is cutting 10% of prices in Junaeu or Skagway
See the links below for further details. One thing is for sure, 2009 is the year to make the trip to Alaska!
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