A View From the Waterfront

07 December 2006

Pacific Fishing Magazine

I had my first article published in the December 2006 issue of Pacific Fishing magazine. It was on infrastructure improvements made by the City of Valdez to better support the commercial fishing industry. We have been doing a lot to improve harbor facilities and encourage fishermen to deliver here and work out of our harbor.

I have a couple more articles in the mill for Pacific Fishing including one on innovative fish processing and another on funding for deferred harbor maintenance. Cheap thrill, but I'm on the masthead for the magazine now. Cool.

Labels: Alaska, Commercial Fishing, Pacific Fishing, Valdez

09 October 2006

Wild Alaska Seafood!

All of the talk of food is making me hungry. Atomic Bear's last post brings a number of ideas to mind. After living in coastal Alaska for 16 years, I find that I've become an insufferable seafood snob. I grew up in the American Southwest and used to clamor for a chance to visit Red Lobster. I'm sure this franchise is well intentioned, but it's just not the same. Once you have lived with freshly caught Dungeness crab, Sockeye salmon, Spot shrimp, and Pacific halibut, there's no going back. …not in Kansa anymore.

I wrote a brief article at Suite101 with some of my favorite recipes called Alaska Wild Seafood. The cooking suggestions are simple, but the results are great. It helps to have something so good to work with on the grill.

My career shifted (a little) moving to Alaska and I ended up working in the port and harbor industry. Much of our effort in the Port of Valdez has been building up the infrastructure needed to support the commercial fishing industry. We recently received a grant from the State of Alaska to purchase and install a fish pump, heavy-duty dock mounted crane, and flake ice plant. We have a new harbor in conference committee before Congress, a cold storage and fish meal plant in the works.

Wednesday morning, at way too early in the morning, I will be driving 310 miles to Anchorage to attend the Changing Tides: Wild Alaska Salmon event being sponsored by the Alaska State Department of Commerce, Alaska Sea Grant, and USDA Rural Development among many others. I will be working with our local salmon hatchery, Valdez Fisheries Development Association, to present the many things we are doing to encourage fishermen to visit and use our port. Fishing is the biggest hope for diversifying our local economy.

I have enjoyed Belgium chocolate and beer this last year. I'm thinking a little grilled salmon and a couple of crabs would fit right in with them! The next participant in our blogging adventure is Fireflies in the Clouds.

Labels: Alaska, Commercial Fishing

01 October 2006

Fisheries Development Efforts in Valdez

I may have sold an article to Pacific Fisherman magazine on the efforts the City of Valdez has made to improve fisheries infrastructure. It's a highpoint for me to finally sell a story and highlights the great accomplishments that have been made to develop commercial fishing in northeastern Prince William Sound. During the last seven years, the City has built a new boatyard, refurbished a number of floating docks and bought a new Marine Travelift.

Using federal economic disaster funds, the State of Alaska began what they called the Alaska Fisheries Revitalization Strategy in 2003. Valdez applied for a grant to purchase equipment that would help independent fishermen handle their catch. This grant resulted in the purchase and installation of a new heavy-duty crane and fish pump. A cooperation agreement was made with Peter Pan Seafoods and they used grant funds to build a new flake ice production plant. As part of the agreement with the City, Peter Pan will make ice available to fishermen at a greatly reduced price.

Efforts by the City have also fit well with the Valdez Fisheries Development Association (VFDA) Fisheries Business Incubator Project. VFDA is providing training to fishermen in how to process their catch as a value added product and the processing facilities to accomplish the work.

There are several more related projects in development. A new commercial boat harbor is awaiting approval in Congress. VFDA is pursuing a cold storage facility that will utilize waste heat from a local refinery to drive its refrigeration systems. A private businessman is looking building a fish meal plant, which would greatly benefit the fish community.

Valdez has seen an increase in landings of halibut and black cod. Hopefully the benefits of these projects will increase in the next few years.

Labels: Commercial Fishing, Harbors, Marinas

19 August 2006

Proceedings of IFISH II Published April 2006

In September of 2003, I had the privilege of presenting a paper the second International Fishing Industry Safety and Health Conference (IFISH II). The first IFISH was held in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. IFISH II was hosted by the Southeast Alaska coastal community of Sitka. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), and the Alaska Marine Safety Education Association (AMSEA) sponsored the conference that attracted 40 speakers and 135 registrants from 18 countries. The United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization sponsored the attendance of several participants in the conference.

My paper Evaluation of Alaska's Commercial Fishing Vessel Safety Program was published in the NIOSH Publication No. 2006-114: Proceedings, Second International Fishing Industry Safety and Health Conference under Session Seven: Vessel Safety on April 2006. I just received my copy in the mail a few days ago.

Attending the conference was a great experience. One outgrowth was the establishment of BoatingSafety-L, a listserv based at the University of Alaska Fairbanks committed to discussion and news about boating safety. NIOSH is currently exploring the possibility of an IFISH III to be held in Chenai, India.

Labels: Commercial Fishing, Freelancing, Non-Fiction

10 July 2006

Commercial Fishing Vessel Outreach

Members of the Coast Guard and Coast Guard Auxiliary had a chance to train with commercial fishermen at Valdez Harbor on Saturday. A damage control trainer and vessel stability simulator were setup for public demonstrations and training. The damage control trainer actually simulates different problems that can occur on a vessel including things like broken through hull fitting and ruptured pipes. Fishermen had a chance to attempt repairs as water sprayed through the simulated failures.

The stability model showed the effects of various loads and levels of water in the holds. About 20 fishermen had a chance to stop and visit with Coast Guard personnel. A number of educational displays were provided by Alaska Marine Safety Education (AMSE) and an EPRIB tester was also available for use. It was a positive experience for everyone involved.