AFN convention spawns controversial resolutions

Delegates to the Alaska Federation of Natives convention today passed two resolutions of interest to the commercial fishing industry.

One calls for reserving seats on the North Pacific Fishery Management Council for Native or trial representatives.

The other resolution calls for establishing a 50-mile no-trawl zone around Alaska's coastline.

Deckboss is reporting, as best he can, details gleaned from television coverage of the Anchorage convention. Unfortunately, I don't have the written resolutions.

Anger over trawl bycatch of salmon would appear to be the main driver behind these resolutions.

The council, we should note, currently has a Native member in chairman Eric Olson.

Virus in salmon prompts congressional action

The U.S. Senate has approved an amendment calling for an investigation and "rapid response plan" to prevent the spread of the ISA virus reported in wild sockeye in British Columbia.

The amendment to a pending appropriations bill, H.R. 2112, calls on the National Aquatic Animal Health Task Force to evaluate the risk the virus could have on wild salmon off the West Coast and Alaska.

Here's a press release from the office of Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., who authored the amendment.