EMS Symposium
Dear Editor: It’s a wrap! The 35th Annual EMS Symposium has ended and we at SEREMS have many folks to thanks for making it one of our most memorable ones in several years. We called Sitka ‘‘home’’ since our incorporation in 1977 and we have held 28 of our annual symposia here. Once again, we were able to showcase Sitka as the perfect venue for our event.
As always, the Harrigan Centennial Hall staff was stellar. They were at the top of their game with all of our different educational tracks, ceremonies and complicated food delivery plans. They are the most cheerful, giving and forward-thinking group of people we work with despite our last-minute change of plans and hiccups with presenter scheduling. The facility itself can’t be described as anything other than splendid. When we open the curtains on the stage during the first day of the event, you can hear the gasps as people gaze at tableau. It is jaw-dropping.
We also need to thank the Sitka Volunteer Fire Department for hosting the welcome reception feast and for their willingness to open their doors to the first ever cadaver lab held in the State of Alaska! The pride the staff, both paid and volunteers, take in their department was on full display and they proved yet again to be one of the strongest, best-run volunteer services in the State.
Our gratitude also to Chief Dave Miller for his participation in the opening session and lending his voice to act as auctioneer to raise scholarship funds. He’s a class act and Sitka Fire is so lucky to have him!
Many thanks to the Sitka hotels, merchants, restaurants and stores. Our guest speakers and many who hadn’t been to Sitka before raved about the hospitality the townsfolk showed them. They vow to return.
Bobbi Leichty, Director, SEREMS
Sea Lions and Salmon
Dear Editor: A two-day workshop was held on April 29 and 30 to discuss Steller sea lion and salmon fishery interactions. The workshop was facilitated by Eric Jordan and attended by commercial and recreational fishermen from Craig, Sitka, Tenakee Springs, Port Alexander and Pelican. Attendees had a frank discussion with Kim Raum-Suryan, NMFS Marine Mammal Specialist, and Lauri Jemison of ADF&G.
The sea lion population is growing, rookeries are expanding, and fishermen are reporting the increased presence of the animals as they go about their fishing operations. Some fishing areas have had to be abandoned because the animals have become so numerous. The goal of the workshop was to discuss methods to avoid losing fish and gear, and to educate fishermen about legal requirements of the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act. Lauri Jemison made copies of her research on the genetic differences between the Western (endangered) and Eastern (not endangered) populations of Steller sea lions in the Gulf of Alaska available and the topic was discussed by the group.
Rick Crump, an electrical engineer, gave a presentation on some of the deterrent techniques being developed for marinas in Washington and Oregon. Al Duncan, NMFS enforcement officer also spoke with the group.
Fishermen recognize that sea lions are very intelligent animals and, as most Sitkans are well aware, if habituated can cause the loss of fish and gear and pose a safety risk to fishermen working on docks and decks. Fishermen, scientists and wildlife managers want to work proactively to find methods to keep sea lions wild and away from fishing operations.
The Sea Lion Avoidance Working Group was established with the goal of preserving viable, sea lion-safe fisheries by humanely reducing interactions with sea lions. A popular and simple improvement is to use 110-pound-plus leader to the flasher and a lighter weight leader from flasher to hook, paying attention that heavy weight snaps and swivels are used.
The workshop would not have been possible without support from the Pacific States Marines Fisheries Commission (NMFS). The Commission provided funding for the workshop and staff support by Teresa Fairchild. Theresa did an excellent job of securing the meeting space, registering participants and feeding everyone. Molly Kemp, ADFG (retired) also provided professional support and coordination for the workshop. Everyone that attended was grateful for the effort and contributions of these “sea lion ladies.” Thank you also to NSRAA for making the Boardroom available.
Next steps are to clarify the regulatory language and make that more readily available to fishing organizations, and to seek grant funding to begin to test deterrents. Work will be ongoing over the next several years. Thank you, again, to everyone who participated. If you are interested in this project please contact any of the group participants.
Amy Daugherty,
Alaska Trollers Association;
Linda Behnken, Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association;
Deborah Lyons,
Chinook Futures Coalition; and
Heather Bauscher,
Sitka Conservation Society
Tongass Community Organizer
