A diverse group of symposia, special sessions, and workshops are scheduled for Chapter’s 1997 Annual Meeting which will be held in Juneau, November 18-20, 1997. Keeping with the meeting’s theme, "From the Mountains to the Sea: Linked Ecosystems," topics range from headwater streams to the open ocean. Following are the session topics and moderators thus far:
The Tongass Land Management Plan: What it is and how we got there. Fred Everest, PNW Research Station, U.S. Forest Service, 2770 Sherwood Ln 2A, Juneau 99802; 586-8811.
Pacific Herring Ecosystem Studies. Evelyn Brown, UAF SFOS IMS, Box 757220, Fairbanks 9975-7220; 474-1943.
Salmon Management in Southeast Alaska. Ben Van Alen, ADF&G, CFMD, P.O. Box 240020, Douglas 99824; 465-4250.
Function and Management of Headwaters Streams in the Pacific Northwest. Mark Wipfli, PNW Research Station, U.S. Forest Service, 2770 Sherwood Ln 2A, Juneau 99802; 586-8811.
Designing and Conducting Stream Habitat Surveys. TBA/M. Bryant, PNW Research Station, U.S. Forest Service, 2770 Sherwood Ln 2A, Juneau 99802. 586-8811.
How Many Fish? Abundance Estimates from Stream Surveys. Doug Jones, ADF&G, Sport Fish Division, P.O. Box 240020, Douglas 99824; 465-4270.
Shellfish Management and Research. Ray Ralonde, Marine Advisory Program, University of Alaska, Carton Trust Building, Suite 110, Anchorage 99508; 274-9691.
Ground Fish Research and Management. Gordon Kruse, ADF&G, CFMD, P.O. Box 240020, Douglas 99824; 465-6106.
Contributed Papers. M. D. Bryant, PNW Research Station, U.S. Forest Service, 2770 Sherwood Ln 2A, Juneau 99802; 586-8811; mbryant@ptialaska.net.
Contact moderators if you wish to contribute to any of these sessions. There are still opportunities for additional sessions and for contributed papers. Submit proposals for special sessions or abstracts for contributed papers to M. D. Bryant, 2770 Sherwood Ln 2A, Juneau AK 99801; 586-8811 ext 228 or mbryant@ptialaska.net. "The influence of large wood from headwater streams to the ocean" will be presented by Jim Sedell. Two workshops have been proposed--one by Joe Sullivan, "Creating a diverse workforce in fisheries management and research," and a second by Christopher Estes, "Involving the public in water quality issues." A continuing education workshop is planned for the Monday before the meeting on a topic to be determined. Here is your chance to influence the course or events! Contact Pat Hansen, Continuing Education Chair, to get what you need.
Local Arrangements Chair Sue Walker and her committee have obtained low AFS meeting rates at the Westmark Baranof Hotel and other nearby hotels, as well as other "good guy deals" around town. A reception will be held Monday evening at DIPAC Hatchery, and a tour of the Alaska Brewery is set for Tuesday. Transportation will be provided to both events. A registration form for the meeting will be enclosed with the Fall Oncorhynchus. Make your plans now while the sun shines.
Ron Dunlap
The TLMP revision is finally finished! Regional Forester Phil Janik signed the new Tongass Land Management Plan on May 23, 1997. The TLMP revision, which began in 1987, significantly changes the way the Forest is managed. Under the new plan, the timber available for harvest decreases from a maximum allowable annual harvest of 520 million board feet to 267 million board feet. This reduction means that after the next 100 years, 84% (4.6 million acres) of today’s productive old-growth forest will remain unharvested. The new plan also significantly increases protection for aquatic ecosystems.
With over 45,000 miles of streams and 278,000 acres of lakes, the 17-million-acre Tongass National Forest provides freshwater habitat for some of the world’s greatest remaining populations of wild salmonids. Many of Alaska’s fisheries and conservation interests recognized these values in their recommendations for improving protection of the Forest’s freshwater habitats. The Tongass managers listened and responded accordingly.
To sustain habitat for all fishes that use habitat on the Tongass, the plan emphasizes protection of watershed processes. Directions in the plan are derived from 3 years of intensive efforts by interdisciplinary teams and interagency risk assessment panels from the USFS, ADF&G, ADEC, EPA, NMFS, and USFWS. The Plan also relies heavily on the 1995 interagency Anadromous Fish Habitat Assessment which made specific recommendations on habitat protection.
Two fundamental principles are the basis for the plan’s approach to fish habitat protection: that a stream system is an ecosystem continuum from headwaters to saltwater, and that watershed processes define the quantity and quality of fish habitat. Habitat protection measures in the plan recognize that events such as landslides may affect downstream fish habitat all the way to the estuary. The plan also recognizes that effects of watershed processes, whether natural or influenced by management, occur over a much longer time span than we are accustomed to thinking about. Impacts of management activities on fish habitat may not be seen until triggered by a significant storm event years later.
Protection measures for riparian areas vary by stream type and are designed to maintain stream characteristics within their natural range. For example, the 1990 Tongass Timber Reform Act requires minimum 100-ft no-harvest buffers on salmon streams and resident fish streams flowing directly into salmon streams. The new TLMP extends the no-harvest buffer to a distance equal to the height of the tallest trees in the riparian area (about 130 feet on floodplain channels) or to the entire riparian area, which is generally the 100-year flood plain. Another example is increased protection for high-gradient non-fish streams. Past management allowed timber harvest to the edge of these streams, but the new plan prohibits timber harvest within the stream’s "V-notch" unless watershed analysis shows the channel will have no effect on downstream fish habitat. The plan gives additional direction to design streamside buffers to be windfirm.
When site-specific characteristics of streams differ from the general stream types used in Forest planning, changes to the plan direction are allowed, but only if intensive watershed analysis shows that the action would maintain habitat management objectives for the stream and provide the same or greater level of protection. A draft Watershed Analysis Guide has been completed, and a final procedure should be published next year.
After years in the making, the new TLMP is out, and it significantly improves habitat protection for fish.
Cindy Hartmann, Vice President
Next year, the 1998 Alaska Chapter Annual Meeting will be September 30-October 3 in Anchorage at the Hilton Hotel. This will be a joint meeting with the Western Division, the North Pacific International Chapter, and the Wakefield Symposium. The meeting theme is "Ecosystem Considerations in Fishery Management." I am looking for volunteers, including Chairs for the Local Arrangements and Program Committees. If you are interested in volunteering, please call me at 586-7585 or e-mail at cindy.hartmann@noaa.gov. Being on one of these committees is a great way to get to know people and do a service for your Chapter. I've found that many hands make light work, and it's really neat to see how each person’s assignment comes together to make a great educational and enjoyable meeting. So give me a call and get involved!
Cindy Hartmann, Vice President
For those of you following the essential fish habitat (EFH) provisions of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Management and Conservation Act, the proposed rule to implement provisions of the Act was published in the Federal Register on April 23, 1997. The comment period on the proposed rule has been extended to July 8, 1997 (extended from May 23). Comments can be sent to the Director, Office of Habitat Conservation, Attention: EFH, NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910-3282. For more information, call (301) 713-2325 or the NMFS Alaska Region office at 586-7131. Comments are also being accepted on the draft "Technical Guidance to Implement the Essential Fish Habitat Requirements for the Magnuson-Stevens Act."
Although the deadline for public comments on the proposed rule has been extended, the deadline for NMFS to develop and submit EFH amendments to Fishery Management Plans has not been extended. Therefore, each Region is proceeding to start the process of identifying habitat essential to fish under their Fishery Management Plans. The Alaska Region EFH team will meet in Juneau on July 15-17. The public is invited to this meeting. For more information, call 586-7131.
Peggy Merritt, President
When I last wrote this column, it was -10 F. Three months later, it’s warmed up to 80 F. This is quite a climate change, and after Chapter business for the spring quarter, global climate change will be the focus for this column.
Chapter Business The EXCOM authorized purchase of equipment by the Pt. Stephens Press contractors to upgrade computer graphics and memory to complete the Fish Key.
Mid-year (December 1996-May 1997) committee reports on Chapter activities are due to me by mid-June and will be posted on the Chapter’s web site. A written report of Chapter activities is due to Western Division President Tom Nesler who in turn will present a report of Western Division activities to AFS President Coutant at the National meeting in Monterey.
In other business, the EXCOM answered an AFS questionnaire on governance, fiscal management, and publishing. The EXCOM also reviewed several draft policy statements by differing authors on human use of fish and other living aquatic resources. This topic has generated debate and opposing opinions among AFS members. President Coutant has asked Nesler to offer another version of the draft policy statement at the Monterey meeting.
Climate Change and Alaska Fisheries The Center for Global Change and Arctic System Research at UAF convened a workshop on the impacts of global climate change in the Western Arctic/Bering Sea region, sponsored by NSF and the U.S. Department of Interior. The workshop, held June 3-6, is the second of seven to be held across the U.S. this summer, and a national report will be presented at a conference in Japan in 1999. The backdrop of the regional workshops is gradual warming of the earth’s climate due to increased "greenhouse" gases. The workshop at UAF focused on the biological, economic, and social changes that could impact inhabitants of the Arctic, including Alaska. Approximately 70 policy makers, community and government leaders, and scientists from the U.S., Japan, Russia, and Finland attended. I was asked to represent the AFS Alaska Chapter and to chair the work group session on fisheries.
I was enjoying the prospect of warmer winters in Fairbanks, but after listening to several presentations, I began to take the topic more seriously. The fisheries group was challenged to discuss concerns regarding biological, economic, and social impacts on commercial, subsistence, and recreational fisheries; marine mammals and sea birds; and freshwater, anadromous, and marine environments in the eastern and western Bering Sea and coasts in a short amount of time! We shared information and viewpoints virtually nonstop. I found the experience to be educational, and wish to share a few highlights with Chapter members.
In the paper "Effects of climate change on Bering Sea region fisheries," authors Keith Criddle, Joe Niebauer, Terry Quinn, and Al Tyler present evidence that a strong climatic change occurred in the mid 1970s which is influencing ocean dynamics and biological productivity. This regime shift involved a general warming of coastal waters in the Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea, and seems related to the location and intensity of the Aleutian low-pressure cell. The Aleutian Low has migrated east to west on a decadal scale; however, it has remained in the eastern Bering Sea for an unprecedented period and is more intense. Changes in this low-pressure system are linked to the El Niño-Southern Oscillation event (ENSO) that originates in the South Pacific.
The ENSO is one of the largest climate events and has global impacts. Strong links exist between the ENSO and the Bering Sea region. In a regression analysis, 30% of the variability in Bering Sea characteristics (sea surface temperature, ice cover, air temperature, and wind) were explained by ENSO changes. During warm (El Niño) periods, the Low is strong and to the east. During cold (anti-El Niño) periods, the Aleutian Low is minimal and to the west. Because changes in the frequency and intensity of El Niño events have a critical role in determining the impact of climate change on marine resources of the Bering Sea region, we need to understand how climate change is likely to affect the ENSO. If the ENSO is driven by the temperature differential between the tropics and the poles, speculation is that global warming will decrease the temperature differential and may reduce basin-scale oceanic and atmospheric circulation, possibly reducing productivity of the Bering Sea. The Japanese scientist in our group was quick to point out that while Alaska is enjoying warmer coastal waters due to the present location of the Aleutian low in the eastern sea, the western sea has been unusually cold, paralleling lower productivity of several stocks in the western Bering.
So what is happening (and what might happen) with climate warming? More questions were raised than answers ventured, which was a main point of the conference. The NSF sponsored the workshop in part to solicit ideas for additional research. A few of the many unanswered questions include the relationship of the atmosphere with the sea, nutrient input from coastal erosion (melting of permafrost, glaciers), the role of freshwater flow, and influence of a reduction in sea ice. Possible policy actions were suggested to mitigate impacts. A report on workshop results is forthcoming and can be obtained from UAF (Dr. Patricia Anderson, 474-5698; patricia@gi.alaska.edu). The Bering Sea Impacts Study is also on the web at http://www-cgc.uafadm.alaska.edu/besis.
Announcing the availability of the Chapter-sponsored Proceedings of the Fish Ecology in Arctic North America Symposium (AFS Symposium 19, J. B. Reynolds, ed.). The symposium was conceived as a Chapter project at the 1990 Annual Meeting and was held at UAF in 1992. The symposium summarizes current knowledge of the biology and ecology of freshwater, anadromous, and marine fishes and invertebrates in arctic and subarctic North America. This 345-page publication consists of 34 peer-reviewed papers useful for management and science and will serve as a valuable reference for years to come. The book costs $59 for AFS members and can be ordered directly from the AFS publications office by calling (412)741-5700 or FAX your request to (412)741-0609.
Joe Sullivan, Cultural Diversity Committee Chair
The Chapter is pleased to announce the availability of a $350 award to help cover travel expenses to attend the Chapter's 1997 Annual Meeting, November 17-21, in Juneau. The Chapter has worked for years soliciting donations and dedicating raffles so that we could establish a sufficient endowment to produce interest to give as this award.
We invite AFS members to apply who meet the following minimum qualifications: 1) be female or a member of a recognized minority group (Native American, African-American, Hispanic, Asian, or Pacific Islander); 2) reside greater than 50 miles from the meeting location or not reside in the meeting city in an area with no connecting road system; 3) be a current AFS member (not delinquent on dues); and 4) be in academic standing or in a fisheries-related occupation. Application forms can be downloaded from the Chapter's homepage (http://www.alaska.net/~fishak) or obtained from Joe Sullivan, ADF&G, 333 Raspberry Road, Anchorage 99518-1599 (phone 267-2213; fax 267-2464; e-mail joes@fishgame.state.ak.us). Submit completed applications to Joe Sullivan at the above address. To be considered, applications must be received by September 1, 1997.
Applicants will be evaluated on their contribution to fisheries, professionalism exhibited in job and related activities, academic background, reason for attending the meeting, and their personal statement and references. Preference will be given to those giving an oral or poster presentation at the Annual Meeting. The recipient will be announced in the Fall Oncorhynchus and introduced at the Annual Meeting. The Chapter reserves the right not to present any awards. The recipient of this award will not be eligible for any other Chapter travel award in the same year.
Allen Bingham, Secretary-Treasurer
In the last issue of Oncorhynchus, President Merritt proposed creating a new Chapter office. Duties of the Secretary-Treasurer position have increased to the point where the workload is too much for one person. The EXCOM has proposed splitting the duties into two separate elected positions--a Secretary and a Treasurer--thereby increasing the voting members of the EXCOM by one. Creating a new Chapter office requires a revision of the Chapter Bylaws. The wording for any Bylaws change must be distributed in writing at least 30 days before a membership vote. Pertinent sentences in the Bylaws are shown below with the proposed changes. Text to be added is indicated as all capitals in brackets, and text to be deleted is underlined.
The officers of the Chapter shall consist of a President, President-Elect, First Vice-President, [TREASURER,] and a Secretary-Treasurer. Officers shall be elected from ballots presented in the Chapter newsletter, Oncorhynchus. The term[S] of the Secretary-Treasurer [AND SECRETARY ]shall be two years[, WITH THE TREASURER’S ELECTION OCCURRING ON EVEN NUMBERED YEARS AND THE SECRETARY’S ELECTION OCCURRING ON ODD NUMBERED YEARS].
The Secretary-Treasurer shall keep the official records of the Chapter; submit a copy of the minutes of the annual business meeting to the Executive Director of the Society within 30 days after said meeting; collect and be custodian of Chapter funds; disburse funds as authorized by the Executive Committee or membership; submit a record of receipts and disbursements at the annual Chapter meeting; and discharge other duties that may be required by the Executive Director of the American Fisheries Society and officers of the Western Division. [THE SECRETARY SHALL KEEP THE OFFICIAL RECORDS OF THE CHAPTER; SUBMIT A COPY OF THE MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL BUSINESS MEETING TO THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE SOCIETY WITHIN 30 DAYS AFTER SAID MEETING; AND DISCHARGE OTHER DUTIES THAT MAY BE REQUIRED BY THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE AMERICAN FISHERIES SOCIETY AND OFFICERS OF THE WESTERN DIVISION.]
A ballot on this proposed change will be included in the next issue of Oncorhynchus.
Allen Bingham, Secretary-Treasurer
The Alaska Chapter of the American Statistical Association will hold its 1997 annual meeting July 31-August 2 at Chena Hotsprings Resort. The featured speaker will be Dr. Dale Zimmerman, Univ. of Iowa, who will give two presentations: 1) Variance-Covariance Structures for Longitudinal and Spatial Data; and 2) Analysis of Spatial Point Patterns. The talks are scheduled for the morning sessions of the first two days of the meeting. For more information contact Ron Barry at 474-7226 or e-mail at ffrpb@aurora.alaska.edu. Link to http://www.uafcs.alaska.edu/~asa/1997AMtg.html for up-to-date meeting information.
Peggy Merritt, President
The AFS rotates its National meeting among four Divisions, and in 2001, AFS will be meeting in the Western Division. The Alaska Chapter has been solicited for a proposal to sponsor and organize the 2001 Annual Meeting. With as many as 1,200 persons attending, a National meeting held in Alaska would be a major economic boost to a local community and provide an excellent opportunity for regional biologists to participate. If any of you attended the 1989 Annual Meeting in Anchorage, you will remember what a big success it was. The EXCOM will not offer a proposal to sponsor a National meeting unless we can find a Local Arrangements Chair and a Program Chair. In addition to these key positions, volunteers are needed who are willing to offer their time and talents. Volunteering to work on a National AFS meeting has many rewards, including the opportunity to organize scientific presentations of new research and management findings, select special workshops or symposia dealing with current issues of broad membership interest, exchange information and viewpoints with scientific fellows, and develop new working relationships.
The deadline for the Alaska Chapter to respond is August 8. If you are interested in being part of the 2001 AFS meeting in Alaska, give me a call or send an e-mail message. If no interest is expressed by the membership, the EXCOM will decline the offer to submit a proposal.
Klaus Wuttig, Student Unit President
The Student Unit of the Alaska Chapter functions as a student organization from September to April during the academic year. Membership consists of students enrolled at Alaska universities and colleges. Officers presiding from September 1996 to April 1997 were Klaus Wuttig, President; Mike Daigneault, Vice-President; and Ted Lambert, Secretary-Treasurer. Jim Reynolds continued to serve as Unit Advisor.
Activities of the Student Unit consisted of four Student Unit meetings, participation at the Chapter’s 1996 Annual Meeting in Fairbanks, and our fund-raising projects. In October, the annual fall potluck and social was held featuring a video of hook-and-line sampling for sheefish on the Kobuk River. In November, the Student Unit presented a guest speaker, Dr. Brian Himmelbloom from the Fishery Industrial Technology Center in Kodiak. At the 1996 Chapter Annual Meeting, Student Unit members assisted with registration and videotaped presentations of all scheduled speakers. In February, Kenneth Alt presented Sheefish of Alaska: A biological and historical perspective. A spring BBQ and social were held in April. Due to low turn out, officer elections were postponed until fall 1997. Ted Lambert and Lisa Mostella were appointed Co-Chairs and will maintain club activity until fall. The unit fund-raising activities consisted of selling T-shirts, cookbooks, and videotapes of presentations given at the 1995 and 1996 Chapter Annual Meetings. Plans for the coming school year include continuing the socials and presentations of guest speakers.
One of our primary goals for the coming year is to recruit undergraduate students and encourage more active involvement by undergraduate members. Historically, the Student Unit has been comprised of a handful of graduate students, and we the officers wish to change this situation. Any suggestions concerning the Student Unit or 1996-1997 activities should be directed to the current Co-Chairs, care of the Alaska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, P.O. Box 756100, UAF, Fairbanks 99775-6100; 474-7661; fax 474-7348.
Norma Sands, Electronic Communications
Finally I have my computer more or less working again and have started the long-needed updates to our web site. I hope I managed to remember and find all the corrections sent me over the past few months. I am currently working on formatting the 1996 Abstracts and the "Directory of Fisheries and Aquatic Educators." So they should be there shortly. As usual, I am open to suggested changes and additions.
Brenda Baxter, Coordinator, Alaska Sea Grant
The 16th Lowell Wakefield Fisheries Symposium will be held jointly with the AFS Western Division, Alaska Chapter, and North Pacific International Chapter meeting in Anchorage on September 30-October 3, 1998. The University of Alaska Sea Grant College Program has been sponsoring and coordinating the Lowell Wakefield Fisheries Symposium series since 1982 as a forum for information exchange in biology, management, economics, and processing, as well as an opportunity for scientists from high-latitude countries to meet informally.
This symposium series is named in honor of Lowell Wakefield and his many contributions to Alaska fisheries. Lowell Wakefield was the founder of the Alaska king crab industry. He recognized two necessary ingredients for the king crab fishery to survive--ensuring a quality consumer product and maintaining a viable fishery through sound management. Lowell Wakefield and Wakefield Seafoods played important roles in developing quality-control legislation, preparing fishing regulations, and drafting international agreements for the high seas. Toward the end of his life, he joined the University of Alaska as an Adjunct Professor of Fisheries where he influenced the early direction of the Sea Grant Program.
The goal of this symposium is to gather worldwide expertise to discuss how to incorporate ecosystem considerations into practical fishery management and to recommend a process for advancing fishery management beyond the single-species model. Topics we hope to address include: defining fishery management objectives that accommodate ecosystem-level concepts; managing fisheries on multiple species with different productivity (technical interactions); incorporating species interactions (e.g., predator-prey relationships) in fishery management (biological interactions); "downstream" effects of fishing on other trophic levels through removals, discards, and habitat modification; effects of harvesting that may alter productivity enough to warrant changing harvest strategies; and incorporating natural, decadal-scale shifts affecting age and size structure, spatial distribution, and community composition into fishery management models.
To contribute either an oral or poster presentation, submit an abstract no later than January 15, 1998 by e-mail (as part of message, not an attachment) to: FNBRB@aurora.alaska.edu. Abstracts (300 word max) must include a title (in upper/lower case with minimum words); author(s) names as they should appear for publication; full affiliation; and mailing address, phone, fax, and e-mail address. If e-mail is not available, submit hard copy and computer disk to Brenda Baxter, Alaska Sea Grant College Program, UAF, P.O. Box 755040, Fairbanks 99775-5040; 474-6701; fax 474-6285.
Information on symposium registration and accommodations will be included with the next announcement in spring 1998. A symposium proceedings will be published soon after the symposium.
The Chapter is soliciting nominations for the Meritorious Service Award and the Wally Noerenburg Award. A nomination form for both awards is included in this issue of Oncorhynchus.
The Meritorious Service Award is given annually to an individual who has made a recent outstanding contribution in any area of Alaska fisheries, such as research, management, education, planning, policy development, and industry. The candidate’s contribution should be recent rather than a career-long achievement which is recognized through the Wally Noerenberg Award. Nominations should include a written justification of £100 words stating why the individual should receive the Meritorious Service Award. The name, address, and phone number of the nominator are also required in case more information is needed by the Awards Committee. Nominations are valid for 2 years. Nominations must be received by September 1 by Awards Committee Chair Suzanne Hayes, ADF&G, 1800 Glenn Highway, Suite 4, Palmer 99645.
The Chapter is also soliciting nominations for the Wally Noerenburg Award. This award was conceived as a special honor to bestow upon an individual or individuals for lifetime, outstanding contributions to Alaska fisheries. No nominations for the award were received in 1996. For consideration in this calendar year, nominations must be received by July 31 by the Wally Noerenburg Award Committee Chair Bill Arvey, Box 81195, Fairbanks 99708. Additional supportive documentation is encouraged but not required with the nomination form.
I/We nominate
for the Alaska Chapter’s (please check only one award below):
___ Wally Noerenberg Award (WNA) for lifetime contributions to Fishery Excellence, or
___ Meritorious Service Award (MSA),
because of the following great and outstanding contribution(s) made by him/her/them to Alaska fisheries (WNA), or because of some recent meritorious service (MSA) the nominee has performed in the field of Alaska fisheries. Please summarize the salient points of why you feel the nominee is justified to receive the award (100 words or less):
Nomination submitted by:
give: Name and phone, signature, and date.
Please feel free to submit any other supportive documents you think will be useful to the awards committees. Please send your nominations directly to the appropriate Chair:
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Wally Noerenberg Award
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Meritorious Service Award
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