27 February 2006

Travelift Arrives in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana!

The Marine Travelift donated by the City of Valdez, Alaska crossed the bridge into Plaquemines, Louisiana on 27 February 2006. Arrangements were made by the Alaska Fishing Industry Relief Mission to tranport the lift on a Carlile Transportation truck from Valdez to Houston, Texas. The lift was picked up on Saturday by Packard Trucking and made it to Empire today. A representive of Marine Travelift will fly down on March 6th to assist in the reassemby of the lift. A dedication is planned in Empire on March the 15th, which will be attended by our Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski. A job well done by all concerned. The lift will be used to help with the recovery of commercial fishing vessels washed ashore by hurricane Katrina.

23 February 2006

Planning Issues for Development of the Fisheries Industry in Valdez, Alaska

Support of the commercial fishing industry depends on a web of interrelated support infrastructure and business interests. A port with adequate haulout facilities and no related support businesses will attract little interest from vessel operators. The United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) describes this web concept as a community fishery center (CFC) where related businesses eventually become a force greater than the sum of their individual enterprises. M. Yami writes in Community Fishery Centres: Guidelines for Establishment and Operations that:

“A CFC is more than just an assembly of stores and workshops. A CFC becomes the focus of the fishing life in the village. It is where the fishermen meet for a chat and a drink, where they can negotiate a loan with the bank or credit-scheme functionary…can get advice from the extensionist (like our UAF Sea Grant Program in Alaska), congregate and organize into groups and associations, through which they may met and negotiate prices and deliveries with the fish dealers and more…”

Not every component of a CFC can be developed simultaneously, but planning should be in place to account for all of the components required for successful fishing community. The basis of the harbor’s presentation of the Valdez Marine Center Concept to the Valdez City Council last year was to address the necessary planning that should be considered as part of the upland development associated with our harbor expansion project. The overarching goal for Valdez should be to ensure all of the required components work towards making our community a economically successful marine center in the greater Prince William Sound region. A quote from A Comprehensive Vision for Valdez Harbor Expansion and Marine Related Development – The Valdez Marine Center – reinforces this idea:

“Studies and concepts too often focus on single projects with singular benefits. Valdez has many rich resources that need to be brought into concert with future development. There are seldom functions or activities occurring within the community that are not in some part dependent on another enterprise or activity. A boatlift, for example, may not be a profitable enterprise in itself. However, the economic activity generated by repairs, storage and other maintenance functions would provide a much greater economic benefit to the community than that reflected in the cost of the boat lift.”

Future planning in Valdez should address two broad issues. The first is to address the needs of the community and identify required components needed for a successful marine center to exist in Valdez. Required components of a marine center can be grouped into several functional areas like vessel maintenance or community resources. A review these functional areas and related components should be made for completeness and identify areas where can be improvement or establishment of a listed service. Land use planning for the uplands associated with the harbor expansion project and these components is vital to success. The second area of concern should consider the projects currently approved and funded by the State of Alaska. Issues that need to be addressed include equipment location, operational concerns, capacity, portability, durability, and facility policy and procedures.

Required Components of a Marine Center (CFC)

Vessel Maintenance

Machine shop
Medal work and welding (fixed and portable)
Hydraulic repairs
Canvas work
Electrical repair/installation
Marine surveyors
Safety equipment certification (life rafts, EPRIB, etc.)
Certification society representatives (Lloyd’s Register, ABS, Bureau Veritas, etc.)

Vessel Supplies

Ships stores/chandlery
Fuel, bunkers and lubes
Groceries/food
Ice and water

Fish Markets

Fish brokers
Fish auctions
Branding of Valdez products

Fish Handing/Quality

Cold storage facility
Ice plant/ice storage
Fish handling equipment (fish pump)
Transportation for fresh and frozen products
Hoists

Fish Processing

Smokeries
Canneries
Value added filet or pouch products
Self-marketing by fishermen
Fish meal production
Surimi
Roe

Upland Infrastructure

Vessel maintenance pads
Net lofts
Net repair racks
Boat yard
Used oil and bilgewater disposal
Dry vessel storage
Outside gear storage

Moorage

Protected moorage
Transient moorage and staging space

Community Services

Education/training

Crane safety
Value added fish processing
Marine and biological science
Vocational education
Hazardous materials
Business practices

Hospital/emergency services
Fire and police protection
Showers, laundry, restrooms
Pharmacy
Restaurants and bars
Meeting places
Resource agency support from ADF&G and USF&WS
Regulatory agency support from ADEC, NMFS and USCG
Environmental response businesses like Alaska Chadux or SERVS

14 February 2006

Travelift Begins Long Journey to Louisiana

Valdez Star Newspaper Article - 14 February 2006 [LINK]

VALDEZ - In the end, it was Carlile Transportation, the Alaska owned and operated trucking company out of Anchorage, who stepped up to the plate last week, by loading up the long disassembled marine travel lift that has been donated by the City of Valdez to Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, a coastal fishing community that was devastated by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita late last summer, and is moving the valuable equipment to aid in ongoing relief efforts on the Gulf Coast.

“We do a lot of in-kind or charitable type work,” said Tom Hendrix, who works for Carlile and spoke on behalf of the company last week when it was announced that Carlile would be transporting the Lift from Valdez to the company’s receiving terminal in Houston, Texas, where Parish officials will be responsible for moving the Lift back to Louisiana.

The donation of transportation, which Hendrix said will be quite costly but gave no firm number for, comes at the behest of Carlile President Harry McDonald. “His belief is in supporting the communities that support us,” said Hendrix.

While the long awaited gift makes its way down the Alaska Highway through Canada to all the way to Houston, officials of the Plaquemines Parish and officials from the various relief organizations in the area are scrambling to arrange transport of the Lift from Houston to Plaquemines.

After the lift arrives, which is being eagerly anticipated by the folks associated with the recovery efforts of the fishing industry in the area, it will be met by a face familiar in Valdez, namely Dennis Sargent, the mechanic sent by Travelift, the manufacturer of the equipment, who spent several days in Valdez in late January to supervise the dismantling of the Lift.

Sargent will be on hand to help workers down there reassemble the lift, where it is sure to go into immediate use. Sargent, whose time is being donated by Travelift, said he was pleased with the condition of the contraption, which is capable of moving large boats in and out of water.

“It sure is a valuable asset to us,” said Plaquemines Parish Director of Operations Lonnie Greco.

Months after the Hurricanes ripped through the area bringing death and destruction to people who live there and the industries they rely on, Greco estimated that maybe half of the residents, including fishermen, had returned to the area to try to rebuild the towns in the Parish, and their lives. “Without the fishing industry, we don’t survive,” he said.

Four and a half months before the next hurricane season arrives, Parish officials are still sorting through the red tape that typically plagues disaster recovery efforts of any kind, and the donated Travel Lift, which will get to the Parish almost four months after the matter was first considered by the Valdez City Council last year, is just one more step forward in their efforts. “Its just a slow process,” said Greco, who comes from an old fishing family in the area.

Despite its late arrival, Greco says the Parish is extremely grateful for the big gesture from Valdez, and wished he could have come North to thank the town personally. “Its really touching,” he said.

13 February 2006

Marine Mammals in the Harbor

Harbors are attractive to wildlife and those who enjoy watching that wildlife. Alaskan harbors often have protected animals like marine mammals call their facilities home. Marine mammals are protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 (MMPA). The act prohibits harassment of marine mammals and defines this as any action that causes disruption in the animal’s normal behavior.

It is important to educate harbor users of the dangers and problems associated with feeding sea lions. Feeding a sea lion could encourage it to take up permanent residence on the harbor docks. Since it is illegal to touch or harass a sea lion, boaters that feed them could lose access to their boat slips when the sea lion decides to haulout on the boat dock. Feeding can disrupt normal feeding patterns and habituate animals to human contact. Habituated animals have a much greater chance of being struck by boats or being aggressive towards people on the docks, while anticipating the source of their next meal. There was a man in Western Alaska feeding and teasing a sea lion and had some herring in his back pocket. You should be able to correctly guess what happened next!

There are times were you may be concerned about an injured or abandoned marine mammal. Avoid touching or approaching the animal. Contact the Alaska Sealife Center at 1-888-774-SEAL to talk with representatives of the Rescue and Rehabilitation Program staff. The Sealife Center staff will ask you about the physical condition of the animal, if there are signs of injury and will ask you to provide digital photos of the animal and immediate area around it. You will be instructed on what to expect next and the actions that need to be taken.

09 February 2006

AFIRM Travelift Press Release

For Immediate Release Alaska Fishing Industry Relief Mission
For more information contact:
February 9, 2006 Mark Vinsel, Chairman
Phone: (907) 586-2820
Email: ufa1@ufa-fish.org

ALASKA EXPORTS 16-TON HELPING HAND TO GULF RELIEF

Valdez, AK, Feb. 8 – A 16-ton Marine Travelift left Valdez, Alaska Wednesday on the first leg of a 4,500-mile journey to a new job helping fishermen in faraway Louisiana, according to Mark Vinsel, the chairman of the Alaska Fishing Industry Relief Mission, Inc, (AFIRM).

The Travelift, which served Valdez for several years, is capable of lifting a 60-ton boat and putting it gently back in the water. It was donated by the City of Valdez to Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, where it will immediately be put to work getting hundreds of stranded commercial fishing boats back in the water and letting their owners go back to earning a living.

It’s all part of an Alaska fishing industry effort to help Gulf Coast fishermen who were put out of work by last year’s devastating hurricanes. AFIRM was formed by fishing interests at the suggestion of U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), who is the honorary chair of its advisory group.

Murkowski noted, “Alaskans know what it’s like to be hit by an overwhelming disaster, and we know that sometimes help from a friend can be faster and more on-target than waiting for the official bureaucracy to move. We simply wanted to be that kind of friend. Alaska and the Gulf are two of the most prominent fishing regions of the U.S., and we think it’s important to stand together.”

The massive machine will travel from Valdez to Houston, Texas courtesy of Carlile Transportation, an Alaska company based in Anchorage, which is not charging for the long trip. Carlile’s owner, Harry McDonald, said “We agreed to do it as a donation to AFIRM because it was the right thing to do. We've been blessed and this is a way to give a little back.”

In Houston, plans call for the lift to be transferred to a truck from Packard Truck Lines of Louisiana, a Plaquemines Parish company, for the final leg to its new home.

AFIRM also arranged for a technical expert from the manufacturer, Marine Travelift, Inc. of Wisconsin to fly to Valdez to oversee dismantling and packing the lift for its long trip, and to travel to Louisiana to put it all back together again. Northwest Airlines is providing air travel for the technician, also as a donation to AFIRM.

Hundreds of Gulf Coast fishing vessels were pushed by storm surge into areas from which – when the storms subsided – they could no longer reach the sea. The Federal government has been pulling them from bayous, backyards and parking lots, but stockpiling them on dry land in a local boatyard with no way to put them back in the water.

The Plaquemines Parish government, which owns the boatyard, also lost its old launching equipment in the storms, and new equipment cannot be obtained from the manufacturer for several more months.

Alan Sorum, the harbormaster in faraway Valdez, heard about the problem, and after discussing it with others, including Alaska and Louisiana university Sea Grant staff, went to work to convince the city government to take a hand. Sorum noted, “We worked with a very dedicated group of people across the entire country to make it happen, and we were glad to do it. We know how important it is for a fishing community to be able to work, and it’s just a miracle the people of Plaquemines Parish have stayed as strong as they have.”

Leonard Mistich, of the Plaquemines Association of Business and Industry commented, “We are excited that vital piece of equipment is finally on its way to Plaquemines Parish, and are very grateful to all those involved in this project to help get our fishing fleet back on the water."

Vinsel, who has chaired the fishermen’s charity effort since it was formed, also represents the largest of Alaska’s fishermen’s professional associations, the United Fishermen of Alaska. He said, “AFIRM is all volunteer, and this truly has been an amazing effort by an amazing number of people, from fishermen and processors to bankers to truckers. For a lot of people, the hurricanes may be fading from memory, but not for those who experienced them and are still out of their homes and out of work, and not for those of us who know what that’s like. These folks needed help and couldn’t afford to wait for the government to get around to it. Alaska has stepped in, and that was the right thing to do.”

For more information, contact:
Mark Vinsel, Alaska Fishing Industry Relief Mission, (907) 586-2820
Senator Lisa A. Murkowski, (202) 224-6665
Alan Sorum, Valdez Harbormaster, (907) 835-4981
Leonard Mistich, Plaquemines Association of Business and Industry, 504-393-2999

Valdez and Plaquemines Parish Travelift Project

A 60-ton marine travelift has left Valdez, Alaska and is on its way to Plaquemines Parish. The lift, donated by the City of Valdez, will aid in the recovery of commercial fishing vessels that were lost in Hurricane Katrina. Presently there are no working travelifts in the Parish. The lift that will provide services to local fishermen was disassembled in January and readied for its trip. The trip to Plaquemines Parish will begin Wednesday, February 8, 2006 when the lift leaves Valdez on its way to Anchorage, Alaska. From there it will be shipped to Houston, Texas. Plans have been made with a local trucking company to transport the lift from Houston to Empire in Plaquemines Parish. The company has agreed to furnish the truck services while the parish will be responsible for the $700 driver and fuel fees.

The lift was loaded on a waiting trailer at the Valdez Container Terminal by North Star Stevedore and is being transported to Houston by Carlile Transportation. Carlile has donated the cost of transportationand equipment. The entire effort has been supported by the office of Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski.

04 February 2006

Arctic Shipping

My professional interests are in the Alaskan marine transportation industry. Oran Young discusses some of the many marine transportation issues associated with the Northwest Passage in the chapter entitled Arctic Shipping: A Tale of Two Passages. Young focused much of this chapter on the differences that exist between the Northeast Passage maintained by Russia and the little traveled Northwest Passage in the Canadian Arctic. The former Soviet Union expended a great deal of funding to develop the Northeast Passage. In comparison, little has been spent to develop the Northwest Passage. The book Arctic Politics was written in 1992 and it appears that the very nature of the Northwest Passage is changing. The Northwest Passage could become ice-free within the next fifty years.

The multi-year ice pack of the Arctic has shrunk more than 14% since 1980 and half of the ice present in 1950 is now gone. Shrinking of the ice pack could mean the beginning of routine shipping through the Northwest Passage. Several outside influences including the political instability of Panama and the potential cost savings associated with the route will make the passage even more attractive.

Using the Northwest Passage could save millions to dollars to worldwide shipping companies. A shipment from Europe to Asia is around 2,500 miles shorter via the Northwest Passage compared to using routing through the Panama Canal. The Northwest Passage may become a naturally created alternative to the Panama Canal.

The United States operated the Panama Canal for more than 85 years, prior to its return to the government of Panama. Most international shippers are very concerned about the future of the canal and the access it provides. Panama’s government is less secure than many people would prefer. A large amount of shipping is also classified as “post-panamax”. These ships are too large to transit the canal at all and must circumnavigate South America.

The United States and many countries consider the Northwest Passage international waters. Canada has always considered the area as internal waters and claims sovereignty over the area. There have been several well-publicized crossings made by United States ships in the last few years. The International Law of the Sea generally recognizes the treatment of ice-covered areas as different from normal waterways. Countries are allowed to protect what are perceived as very environmentally sensitive waters. Once the ice disappears, the claim of internal waters goes away with it. The current code of conduct of the Northwest Passage is voluntary. There has been much apprehension expressed by the United States government over Canada’s claim of sovereignty. It is also unlikely that Canada will be looking forward to enforcing its will on Russian, American or Japanese shipping interests using the route. Canada’s past conflicts over fishing grounds with Spain on the East Coast will seem a minor incident in comparison to this problem.

There is no doubt that an increase in shipping through the Northwest Passage will impact the people and natural resources of the Arctic. A number of new players will be added to the competition for natural resources. Conflicts over natural resource management will escalate rapidly. There is a Finnish company developing ice resistant oil tankers to operate in the Siberian Sea. There are many more eco-tourism ships plying the Arctic Ocean. Access to and mining of oil, gas and mineral deposits will improve. One can only imagine the negative influences of these activities. The discharge of tailings, oil, waste and ballast water will be difficult to regulate in this remote region. Cleanup would occur under very difficult conditions.

Russia has spent more to provide a viable shipping route for its country with the Northeast Passage. Canada and the United States have yet to make a similar commitment to the future use of the Northwest Passage. The Northwest Passage may make itself available for use by world shipping at little cost within the next century. When this happens, the time for effective planning will be limited. Planning for use of the Northwest Passage should begin now.

02 February 2006

Harbor Expansion and Marine Related Development

Often harbor and other marine related projects are studied and proposed in isolation. A better vision would be to consider waterfront and harbor development in a more holistic manner. There are seldom functions or activities occurring within a community that are not in some part dependent on another enterprise or activity. A boatlift, for example, may not be a profitable enterprise in itself. However the economic activity generated by repairs, storage and other maintenance functions would provide a much greater economic benefit to the community than that reflected in the cost of a boat lift. There are numerous public economic benefits available to the community if these possibilities are introduced within the initial harbor planning process.

The question to us is what defines a harbor related activity. Coastal communities typically have strong ties to the marine environment, recreation and transportation. It is important to plan harbor construction projects that are also favorable to local users and businesses. Not only do these enterprises interact with the harbor, but they also have business relationships with each other. A charter operator will depend on the harbor for moorage and purchase parts from a local hardware store.

Any future harbor development will immediately impact local businesses through increased visitation both from visitors and residents. The potential for further community development through harbor expansion includes new parks, trails, retail outlets and environmental facilities. Jobs will be created in the vessel support industry as well. Planning efforts for a new harbor should not be limited to just the construction of a mooring basin and floating docks. A new harbor could be the focal point of a community reaching its true economic potential and thus providing real benefits to all those visiting the harbor.

Best Management Practices (BMP)

Best Management Practices (BMP) are procedures which outline common sense, environmentally sound vessel maintenance procedures. The following is a brief outline of acceptable vessel maintenance practices that should be considered in development of a local policy for BMPs:

Work areas shall be cleaned after each operation is completed or at the end of the day. Remove all trash, debris, paint chips, fiberglass, blast grit and residue etc. All maintenance shall be conducted in designated areas.

Any maintenance involving blasting, chipping, sanding or other ablative/abrasive removal of material or paint shall be done over canvas or plastic tarps. If water blasting is conducted, filter fabric may be used instead of canvas or plastic tarps to allow water to pass through. These activities shall be done in an enclosed or sheltered structure or in a tarped enclosure to contain airborne debris and dust.

Collected paint chips, dust, sediment, blast grit and similar debris shall be placed in containers approved for such material and disposed of according to Federal, State and local regulations. This material shall not be disposed of in the trash or construction materials dumpsters.

Anti-fouling paints containing the minimum amount of toxin necessary for the expected conditions is strongly recommended. Avoid the use of soft ablative paints and use water based paints where possible

Minimize the use of spray-painting equipment on vessels. Use brushes and rollers whenever possible. Spray painting is prohibited over water. Designate an area to mix paints, solvents and reducers. Keep records of paint use, type, application, amount required etc. All spray painting shall be conducted over land in a spray booth or under a tarp.

Store opened containers of useable solvents and paints in covered, UL-listed, or Factory Mutual approved containers. Use only one cleaning solvent to simplify disposal and use only the minimal amount of solvent needed for a given job. Use soy-based solvents and other similar products with no or low volatility.

Store engine parts and engines on impervious surfaces. Do not wash engine parts over bare ground or water. Adopt alternatives to solvent-based parts washers such as Bioremediating systems that take advantage of microbes to digest petroleum. If using solvent to clean engine parts, do so in a container parts washer with a lid to prevent evaporation of volatile organic compounds. Use drip pans when handling any type of liquid and use separate drip pans for each fluid to avoid mixing. Use funnels to transfer fluids and drain all parts of fluid prior to disposal. Clean engine repair areas regularly using dry cleanup methods. Capture petroleum spills with absorbent pads and materials. Do not hose down the repair area with water.

Winterizing: Use propylene glycol antifreeze for all systems; it is less toxic than ethylene glycol. Ethylene glycol should never be used in potable water systems; it is highly toxic and cannot be purged reliably. Add stabilizers to fuel to prevent degradation. Be sure fuel tanks are 85-90% full to prevent flammable fumes from accumulating and to minimize the possibility of condensation leading to corrosion. Do not fill the tank more than 90% full. Use the highest rated octane recommended by the engine manufacturer; premium fuels are more stable than others are. Be sure the gas cap seals tightly.

There may be additional requirements mandated by various Federal and State regulatory agencies. You are required to know and comply with these regulations as well.

The most current version of Alaska's BMPs can be viewed at the Alaska Coastal Management Program.

A View From the Waterfront