adn.com | The Highliner : Sockeye – and anger

The Highliner

Commercial fishing is a bedrock industry in Alaska, and has been for more than a century. Every year scores of fishermen net millions of migrating salmon, challenge the icy Bering Sea to trap king crabs, lay miles and miles of baited hooks for halibut, and scoop up enough pollock for a zillion fish sticks. And when fishermen aren't out fishing, they're usually talking about fishing. That's what this blog is all about. Cast your net here for commercial fishing news and notes. And if you've got a bone to pick, post a comment.

About me:
I've pounded the commercial fishing beat for the Anchorage Daily News since 1999. I hail originally from Tennessee. I've never fished commercially, but I've spent much time as a journalist aboard boats and inside fish-processing plants. Of course, I'm a big consumer of Alaska seafood. One of my favorites: canned sockeye.

Contact Wesley Loy at wloy@adn.com.

Sockeye – and anger – fill Bristol Bay

Posted by The Highliner

Posted: July 3, 2008 - 3:44 pm

I’m working on a story today about the millions of sockeye salmon pouring into Bristol Bay.

That should be a glorious thing. But commercial fishermen are livid that processing companies are buying only limited catches, or have suspended buying altogether.

Why?

Because canneries are already plugged with fish delivered earlier this week.

Fishermen are mad not only at the buyers but also state officials who, based on an industry survey, concluded the processors likely could handle the run.

The survey “was biased towards the processors,” fisherman David Harsila told me today, speaking by cell phone from the bridge of his boat.

Established processors don’t want more competitors in the bay, and a survey that says existing capacity is adequate can keep out new players, he said.

Catch the full report in tomorrow’s newspaper.

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6 July 14, 2008 - 1:11am | AlitakKid

Here's the Real Joke

It's July 14th - traditionally the day that the "Fat Lady Sings" in the Bay (the end of the run), and the processors still haven't named the price they are fronting for salmon.

Where else in the world could you talk thousands of harvesters to produce over 100 million pounds of product without knowing what they are being paid?

Now that's what I call a joke...

5 July 12, 2008 - 9:34am | DEM53

Price for Reds in Bristol Bay?

Can anyone tell me what they(setnetters) are gettting for reds per lb in Bristol Bay?

July 13, 2008 - 2:09pm | staufen

About $1.60 short of reasonable...

or more. You bring up a good point, is there even a price on the fish ticket - as we are told Alaska law requires?

July 14, 2008 - 2:49pm | educated

price

I heard from down south possibly better than .72 cents.
That was the rumor I heard.

4 July 8, 2008 - 4:29pm | Observermp

Biased?

Maybe Wesley Loy or David Harsila could explain how the survey was biased?

How about it.

July 13, 2008 - 5:09pm | staufen

Huh!

You can't be from the industry or you wouldn't ask such a silly question (or was it just Rhet!).

The real issue is P - E - R - J - U - R - Y.

July 14, 2008 - 8:59am | Observermp

simple question

In the original Highliner post the claim was made that the survey was biased.

Is it unreasonable to ask the author of the article or the person making the claim to explain themselves? How was it biased?

Silly question, no. Silly answer from you, yes.

July 14, 2008 - 9:39am | staufen

Don't play ignorant with us, please.

You can't be so ignorant as to not know that a survey that only consults with the processors and leaves out the broader set of permit holders, financial institutions, competitors, communities and others is prone to be, well, a bit skewed or at least seriously deficient? And when those processors have an inherent economic interest in keeping out all other processors who might compete and dilute their profits (for example, by raising the ex-vessel price as a raw materials cost component) would their opinion be anything but biased? Don't you think that if they will practice tax evasion and price-fixing, and attempt jury rigging, that they'd brush off a governor they fought to not elect (until she kicked Frank to the curb)?

Does any of this make it to the synapses? Or did we misread you - that you really did want an answer instead of baiting Harsila and Loy?

July 14, 2008 - 1:35pm | Observermp

It's a processor survey.

So of course, it survey's processors.

But, seriously, what's the bias.

July 14, 2008 - 8:07pm | staufen

Hey smirker, you're being deliberately daft...

That limited survey approach, and the reliance upon deliberate false claims of processors caused wrong decisions and public harms, just as planned... and you want to just play games and smirk at yourself in the mirror. That is nothing but blatant contempt for those harmed, and being a coward who hides behind a false i.d. Sadistic, isn't it? Go get help!

July 15, 2008 - 7:57am | nushagakred

deliberately daft...

That fits you well staufen.

July 17, 2008 - 1:13am | staufen

Ah, you mean

... gambolling. Correct.

July 14, 2008 - 8:32pm | Sheridan_Sheraton

Blatent Contempt

More than sounding vaguely familiar.

July 14, 2008 - 8:29pm | Observermp

Inform yourself on surveys staufen

You could read the survey, it's on line.

You could read last year's survey and see that the processors exceeded the amount they said they would process.

You could inform yourself in many ways.

You could also explain how a processor survey, designed to get information from processors, is biased because it doesn't solicit information from groups it wasn't designed to to survey in the first place.

July 17, 2008 - 12:50am | staufen

Ahh, you do understand.

Limit the solution, then limit the fishermen. 'Tis bias toward failure.

3 July 8, 2008 - 9:23am | Man_from_Unk

CDQ to the RESCUE

Community Development Quota from the Bering Sea factory trawler pollock fishery is intended to bring fishery related economic development to the Western Alaska Coastal villages. The millions they are reaping should not sit in bank accounts but should be used as intended. Hold the CDQ groups Board of Directors accountable to the stakeholders!

2 July 7, 2008 - 12:51am | educated

BB Salmon "Issue".

There are thousands of "fishers" in the BB salmon industry that had an entire year plus decades to set up an alternative market for their surplus fish let alone a processing plant or floater of their own. If they were unable to do so, they themselves are to blame. They all have known about delivery limits and the time it takes to process fish since the beginning of the fishery. So quit whining. Blame the State of Alaska and yourselves. The state is responsible for not issuing or promoting processing licenses for anywhere in Alaska no matter what the fishery. Dont forget the baloney lawsuit the BB clowns started over "price fixing" as well. Why should the processors be cooperative or accomodating to the fishermen when they get a stick in the spokes at every turn. (strikes, vandalism, sabotage, threats, old/poor quality fish, etc.)
Since Taufen thinks he is so smart and thinks he knows so much about the world fish market and of the entire global fishing conspiracy industry for that matter, why doesn't he put his money where his big mouth is. Why doesnt he get his own boat and license or start up his own processing plant or floater? By taking advantage of the "lack of processing capacity" and "excess fishing capacity" there should be plenty of fish out there for him. It's elementary. Of course your plant would need to be big enough and have about 100 employees (available from Kodiak) to handle all the "excess fishing capacity". Then you would fit right in with all the big processors and be invited into "The Club"!$!$! He would be able to pay a dollar more than the very top dollar plus a big roe bonus! I am positive that all the fishermen would sell their fish to him! It could be called The Groundswell Baloney-Fish Company. Along with a nice fishy non-gender identifying mermaid label on his cans and an endorsement from the Governor, Kodiak Chamber of Commerce and the crewmens association I'm sure he could be a bell ringing a sucess too. Except when the fishermen and processors bring the next shady price fixing suit against you too. Or maybe a complete failure because nobody eats canned salmon turds.

July 12, 2008 - 6:13am | dkshoreline

Can't blame the state

The processors kept on representing to the state that they had more than enough capacity to handle BB runs, so the State denied foreign floaters permits to come into shore. Now Gov. Palin has had enough of this little game and stated this will not happen next year under her watch (see today's headline in ADN-7/12/2008). BTW, in referring you to this article I am not stating any position for or against this step (as Bobby T likes to suggest whenever anyone goes against "his guys"), merely pointing out what happens when you play too many games...

July 12, 2008 - 11:43am | nushagakred

run size

how close is this run to the forecast? have you read the survey?

July 8, 2008 - 10:15am | staufen

Ad hominem is not 'educated'.

Attacking the messenger instead of the message is such a hallmark. We will grant you it is easy, so that is why you do it, because you can pick and choose and presume etc. But we don't know each other, so your opinion of me is none of my damned business, is it?! Let's talk a real world example... and facts...

First, if you had carefully read "on the other hand", you'd see how unwarranted be much of your rant.

Second, the Price-Fixing was proven when Marubeni laid the $25 million check on the table to run (during the Alakayak case) just hours after Abusive Transfer Pricing entered the case. And by evidence confirming the existence of the Okaya Plan. No, not "so smart" but smart enough (oops, check your PR rod, you got a bite!) to know you cannot start up an operation to "compete" against a buyers-as-owners cartel of price racketeers.

Third, about 7 or 8 years ago, I did bring a great opportunity to one Bristol Bay processor from our international marketing contact with a well established Asian hypermarkets company president. At that time, they were establishing 7 mega-stores, and I believe now they have over 22 - one of the giants in Asia. They offered an opportunity for exclusive marketing (gee, isn't that what Japan has for its own affiliates on frozen sockeye?) of that Bay firm's sockeyes with the promise to pay them $1 or so more than any other competitor (i.e. Japan Inc. transfer pricing lie-established pricing) if they would also pass along 40 to 60 cents more per pound to the fleets. Preferrably the higher, as they wanted to build that US firm up with a big fleet, and break the price-fixing paradigm in BBay.

We pitched it to the Bay firm, who instead of seeing the opportunity, got scared - as it would bring on them the wrath of the cartel (with whom they were cooperating! and did testify on behalf of, against the fishermen, in the Alakayak case). Oh yeah, there was dollars more of room ... and yes, the idea of a processor actually competing on price and rewarding the fleet (and establishing the comparable uncontrolled price!) was unfathomable, even with a guarantee that no one could take away their market, and of higher guaranteed profits for all. Cave mentality prevailed, and that processor chickened out.

You settle for ad hominem attacks because you don't know something educated to say. That Asian president was signing deals with global firms for tens of thousands of products, and his/their word was as good as gold. That Asian multi-store firm made multimillions a year for other US agricultural product sellers and farmers. Hey, who else has sockeye?

The only way to improve on such an offer would have been to put up the many millions (and then depreciate it later!) so that someone like us could go in ourselves and set up an operation that would indeed break the price-fix. I was approached in 1996 with an offer for tens of millions in financing from other 'foreign' sources, in a form of anti-Japanese corporation "soft money" political maneuvering = they wanted to affect Japan Inc.'s grip hold over the US Congress etc. It was an offer of setting up legitimate funding by foreign investors, but we had to get a fleet. At that time, without proof of the Alakayak case etc., and given the overwhelming idea that other nations wanted a piece of the USA fisheries too, and were willing to make high level efforts to do so (as we also saw with Taiwan's KMT government, who wanted political influence from its FDI in the USA - i.e. foreign direct investments), the fishermen did not take the relatively risk-free opportunity. So, both sides do share responsibility. That's why the State has to ensure Accountability and Transparency, first and foremost.

Reminder - also, it was in 1999 that myself and co-consultant advised ASMI to "go Wild" and it was not taken. History proved that advise to have been correct, as well. And I turned in a case to the IRS Criminal division involving hundreds of millions of dollars of tax evasion thru the illicit bookkeeping on sockeye salmon in Bristol Bay, and they adjusted that firm's books, enough to force the sale of that firm, as well. There are many ways of serving the industry and this nation, but ad hominem attacks only is not one of them.

Now, you are either a fisherman - who, in that case, is really comfortable sending your daughters into the master's kitchen in return for one more cotton shirt a year than the rest of the slaves whose shoulders you stand upon. Or, you are a processor, who is scared to death that just maybe some day the end of your game will arrive. In either case, it explains your cowardice in hiding behind a twisted-sister moniker. But then again, deception and hatred is your method.

- Groundswell Fisheries Movement
Stephen Taufen

July 11, 2008 - 7:28pm | educated

DAUGHTERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Don't you mention anyones daughters especially mine, here or anywhere. Got it? And you didn't mean in the kitchen, you dirty dirty. Somebody might "go wild" and bequeath upon you some groundswelling about your eyes and ears. Don't do it again. I mean it.
Don't worry about who I am taufen, I just might be one of your neighbors that sees you on weekdays in front of the store. P.S. I stand on no mans shoulders. I also happen to stand on my own two feet that noone has managed to knock me off of in 44 years. By the way, when was it that you started walking upright? My own hard work, struggles and sacrifices to succeed in this industry was by no exceptional help from my employees, that were more than fairly compensated for their labors. like I said put your money where your mouth is.

July 13, 2008 - 1:40pm | staufen

My oh my, your own thoughts got you going.

You seem familiar with the realities of the 'ol South (it's hardly 'dirty' to recall history!). So, you are 44 years old, and live in Kodiak, and have daughters, and are taking things very personal and you publicly express elements of a threat to do me harm. Interesting.

We're sure law enforcement will note those facts along with your obvious bent toward personal hatred and selection of violence. Thank you.

Tell us more... do it again, ... I mean it!! Better yet, show your daughters your rantings and see if it makes them proud of their tough pappa. Then have them invite me to lunch at Henry's and we'll make sure they learn the truth of the industry and about the kind of people who stand up to doing their citizen's duties like responsible men. If your wife isn't in the hospital, put some makeup on her bruises and we'll invite her too.

And don't ever threaten anyone on this site again.

July 14, 2008 - 2:47pm | educated

LOL

Maybe I shouldnt try to irritate you so badly because at least you seem to have a sense of humor and are willing to debate these sensitive issues with anyone who addresses you. You do a fine job stating your side of the issues. We all dissagree on many topics and ones that come too closely to the wallet and family fires up the calmest and most reasonable of contributors. But I do not hear too many complaints from fellow fishermen about the prices paid for product or the way they may be treated by their market. I was able to pay my crew $10,000 each, more than I made last year. After draws, expenses, loan payments, and taxes. The pants I put on this morning were too small to go around my middle. So i'm not starving and the chain around my neck is attatched to a bank. My crew seemed happy, except having to wait a little longer for a settlement check. I was satisfied. I am not trying to threaten anyone, violence is not my gig. It is just not right to use peoples family in an uncolorful analogy. Just use a better analogy rather than referring to slavery or family because that is just not true. We all make the decision as to what profession we desire to persue and try to make the best of it. I don't believe I will ever be a millionaire, but I do believe in the hope that at least someone might be able to become one. Hopefully cooler minds will prevail.

July 14, 2008 - 8:21pm | staufen

Seems you also can afford a lawyer.

Or else a good friend advised you that your life seriously changed the minute you punched the enter key and sent that blog that reeked of predator-attacker mentality. Now you run in the opposite direction hoping some criminal psychologist will be fooled. Smarter, but too late. You'll have to live with the consequences.

I'd be a little intrigued about such a low crew income and your own take, but it's probably just a red herring to draw the feds off of knowing you are a ITQ holder. And no, they don't disclose who anonymous bloggers are to me, so your own mind created your daughters rant.

I know you will behave, because now you have no choice. But you really ought to consider dropping off site as 'educated' and see if you can't sneak back on using your real name and behaving yourself. Eventually, that may fool one of the feds.

But for now, you get the bone, ... good boy!

July 12, 2008 - 6:06am | dkshoreline

He wasn't mentioning anyone's specific daughter

Don't you understand simile & metaphor? His use of "daughter" was not meant to be a threat or to cast an aspersion against any persons family member - it was a rhetorical method to point out the parallels between 18th century plantations & fishing industry.

July 13, 2008 - 12:46am | akwapsc

another taufen lover

oh. so charter boy likes taufen.

maybe taufen can get his tens of millions from charter boys like dkshoreline and get a job with henry mitchell.

taufen is now officially over the top.

he was approached by someone with tens of millions to help save the fishing industry.....

and turned it down.

you couldn´t make this stuff up if you tried.

bobbyt

July 13, 2008 - 5:09pm | staufen

Didn't have to make it up...

and if you read it again carefully, you'll see it was a processor who turned down a solid opportunity, and Bristol Bay fishermen who at that time still trusted in justice. (While at the time you were busy profiting off of the price fixing that even 'educated' agrees exists.)

What's with the slamming Henry Mitchell? Ted ain't gonna like that, boy! And I don't think dk is a charter person. Maybe it is your mother or wife blogging from the neighbor's house in Shoreline - your non-Alaskan home.

Why are you on the blogs now, no fishing? Did you permanently transfer your permit to a crewmember to fish and go off to Europe? Or did you just get back, because you only left the boat with so many pre-stamped fish tickets? Sounds like the ADF&G ought to look into your recent fishing and non-fishing whereabouts and activities and make sure you didn't violate the regs again.

You should be more concerned about the bills you had Cowdery fronting for you and your cronies (like SB0184A to overturn Supreme Court of Alaska on Chignik/Grunert case). Or maybe that is why you are back visiting Alaska - doing damage control?! Kind of scary eh! Ben being Senator B and all. Hard to fathom that if they'd rig oil votes that they wouldn't also rig fishing ones in the Legislature, right? Something for the feds to look into next...

Or maybe they already are... and it explains why Cowdery's aides went before both the Alaskan and Washington DC grand juries!

Now Breath, boy, just breath... that chest pain will go away ... we want you to survive for the prosecution phase.

July 13, 2008 - 5:16am | dkshoreline

That wasn't support -

Just pointing out a common rhetorical technique - learn how to use critical thinking BobbyT (especially since you went to law school).

Ever hear of trying to defuse a situation by identifying the source of the over reaction?

July 7, 2008 - 4:13pm | adnak

Booby T, shut up and get your net in the water

Boobt,

Your cheating your crew again, it's time to fish, get off the internet.

Mom

July 7, 2008 - 10:29pm | akwapsc

I never anonymize

I always use only one internet address and almost always sign.

Having said that, it is nice to see someone 'educated', but having been on draconian limits for 4 of the past 7 years in SE I certainly sympathize with the Bay fishermen.

In SE what the guys did was to start their own company so now they buy 20% of the seine caught fish so the regular processors, for whom i fish, have a lot better chance of keeping us off limits.

Don't like the processor limits, start another YAK, Norquest (SERO), or Icicle.

Then you can put yourself on limits.

Or not.

That's the real, durable solution.

Oh. And BTW, my crew is doing fine just thank you. They started the season on June 12th. First or second boat with a net in the water.

Have a good summer, Edna darling.

bobbyt

July 11, 2008 - 6:03pm | educated

lol !!!

Thank you Bobby T. You do not stand alone here. ;)

July 12, 2008 - 12:47am | Sheridan_Sheraton

Yeah , you're not alone,

Yeah , you're not alone, Bobby .

Ben, Vic, Pete, JC, Anderson, they're all here with you in spirit, too. I'm sure they're hoping you can join 'em.

July 13, 2008 - 1:45pm | staufen

Huh

... started with what, Winther's tapping of AIDEA for state money? Or were Olitkok Pipeline's no-tax profits invested, too?

Would you then say it is a good idea to have the State of Alaska also fund Harsila and his buddies and a new fish company in the Bay!?!

1 July 3, 2008 - 11:12pm | nushagakred

stupidity - and bad reporting - fill ADN

So the ADN talks to super conspiracy theory wing nut Harsila and away we go.

You've got over a hundred years of history on run strength and timing in this fishery to look at and you start out bashing the government and processors because Dave harsila isn't happy!

try writing a story instead of reacting foolishly to the irrational whining of idiots.

July 4, 2008 - 6:50am | staufen

You one angry nusher...

One mention of Harsila and "away you go." If you actually knew David well, you'd have a great deal of respect for him.

On the one hand, this article is about a serious shortage of processing capacity that serves many strategic purposes, including ones that are highly detrimental to Alaska's sockeye fishermen and the State economies (AK, WA, CA, etc.) from whence they travel Nor'-Northwest.

On the other, 2.6m fish is between 10.5 and 13 million pounds...

So, what was the point of your mentioning over 100 years of history? Wasn't this a case where fishermen (aware of the big run coming) wanted the State to allow 'foreign' processors in, for years in a row?

Foreign - meaningless word, as the Japan Inc. cartel already owns and controls (through ROFRs, etc.) this fishery.

The real concern is the continuing price-fixing paradigm. That's reality, not a conspiracy. Unless you are too 'stupid' to see it. And yet tightly controlling overall processing capacity moves the vertical supply curve to the left ... i.e. intersecting a higher price point on the demand curves (different ones for various product forms) and the PRICE PER CATCH POUND should correspondingly go up.

Hey, this is just the "economic efficiency" theory/model the processor used to justify more and more rationalization. But they were actually just confused between costs and efficiencies and will say anything (or have anyone 'stupid' enough - like you? - to do it for them) in order to keep the confusion flowing.

It's a common PR trick to lay the stupidity and bad reporting label on a reporter [ADN] while taking aim at a person [Harsila] that was mildly quoted in context.

Bottom line: You are the real wing nut -- i.e. if you didn't have those processor-stretched ears, you couldn't screw-on so crookedly 'stupid' ...

Groundswell Fisheries Movement

PS: Take a look in the mirror and laugh at yourself.

July 12, 2008 - 11:58am | nushagakred

staufen, did you attack me personally ad hominem boy?

i thought harsila was a conspiracy theory whack job until i read some more staufen spew

in 2001 there were 24 processors in bbay according to state records, in 2007 there were 39. is that your cartel theory at work?

who other than yourself have you ever convinced of any of your drivel. the record looks like you are "0 fer" convincing judges and juries.

July 13, 2008 - 2:07pm | staufen

And the price is what?

If you fish the Bay, are you satisfied with the ex-vessel price?

Didn't need to convince the judge - Marubeni did, with $25 million in a hot flash! As to the jury's irresponsible performance, aside from at least one alternate who got kicked off when caught signaling the defendants with pencils about the status of votes (why no mistrial, why not prosecution of that?, dear judge), check out other national cases involving Mitsui etc. to learn about what responsible juries do.

The history of history is a history of conspiracies, and the books usually get written by the victors... so there is nothing amiss with calling the spade what it is, Ace.

If you'd like to stop the oh so obvious Hannity-Coulter tactics, quit being a coward and identify yourself and your affiliation, it may be possible to have a real dialogue. But as long as your intentions are to use cheap attempts to try and evoke simple emotional knee-jerk responses, and to create a diversion from the truth, your yellow-striped vitreol will be falling on flat fish.

Why do you fear the public in Alaska knowing who you are? Rather silly, isn't it?

Please list those processors alongside how many pounds each wrote up on fish tickets, and see if the Bay isn't an over-concentrated industry, as the Justice Department already determined by indexing it to disallow one major merger two years ago. Or are they just conspiratorialists, too? List the actual owners and financiers behind each of those companies, as well, please. And list the profits they record in the USA, and what taxes they pay here. A little transparency will shed much light.

How about the East Coast fisheries case in the 1970's when about 4 execs were convicted and jailed as feds went after the top guys, though including something like 40 companies in the case. Could something like that not be happening right here in your backyard? It is about lawyer's gamesmanship, not about who is found guilty, and that is why you dare ... which is o.k. with us. Just maybe some day you'll have to eat those cardboard words.

Peace, love, doves and hare-krisna...

July 14, 2008 - 9:17am | nushagakred

Your style staufen

You talk about how to run a business when your comments indicate you have no experience or understanding of it.

You make outrageous claims, and you can't or won't back them up with any evidence.

You won't answer simple questions to clarify that you do or don't know what you're talking about.

You attack people personally while deriding others for the same thing.

You sound just like the politicians you profess to despise.

July 14, 2008 - 10:01am | staufen

You are getting laughable.

First, you have no concept of my experience and capabilities (but you already knew that). Second, you don't have a right to know a damn thing until you stop cowardly hiding behind no-name. Third, we don't attack but respond in your fashion to demonstrate the other side of the mirror ain't pretty for you. You want to play turnaround turnaround but hey, no one is holding your hand...

... ah heck, let's just end it there until you stop being a coward... and start contributing to the public vortex.

July 28, 2008 - 6:29pm | Observermp

I don't know about nush,

but in reading your comments on here staufen, you appear to have utilized all the space in the vortex that will ever be available.

July 13, 2008 - 7:46pm | Kodiakman

BB salmon

Steve, maybe you should catch the clue, you are a crazy conspiracy nut. Although we all enjoy a bit of good comedy, you are so far off how things work in fishing you sound ignorant and foolish.
But, I will give you a chance, describe how many years you fished and what seasons, to better demonstrate your vast knowledge of the indusrty and convince us of your great wealth of understanding of how fishing in the north pacific works. Maybe if we knew what and where your experience comes from we will better understand what point your really trying to make?
Everyone wants higher prices for their goods but the world market won't support these high prices you claim all the fish are worth. I do like the idea of put your money where your mouth is Steve and open your own markets and show us all how you are correct and we are not. If you are truely this marketing and fishing genious you should be very successful, but if you really are full of it we will see you and your dream company fail and fast putting to rest once and for all weither you are even worth listening to.

July 14, 2008 - 1:40am | staufen

Ridiculous! Does it apply to Ted, too?

First, we must clean up the corruption. Then there is a chance for the future. If you are the least bit informed, you already know I won't be a participant in that future, but please trust that in the borrowed time I do have left that I will contribute a bit more to that first order of business.

And from where we sit, I am surprised that you aren't calling Ted Stevens a "crazy conspiracy nut" for saying that the IUU fisheries in the North Pacific are costing us $8 to $9 BILLION each year. Or for his rantings in the Senate about how speculators have traded oil as much as 19 times without it ever going to a customer who would use it, profiteering on the backs of America's consumers. He thinks they ought to be in jail, but can't see the same thing happening in fisheries, and worse - the Abusive Transfer Pricing (crossborder profit laundering/tax evasion) even while sworn in office to uphold the Constitution and protect our Nation. If you do know the industry, then you are aware that some frozen salmon often traded hands on a warehouse receipt level without ever benefitting fishermen or consumers - like I have witnessed, in one case 14 times, without ever leaving the same freezer room and basket.

Ted's 'conspiracy nut' facts go a long way toward verifying that the IRS's criminal division and Groundswell (and others') estimates on reported catch total value in Alaska is about $2 billion short annually ... or more. Ted just won't do anything about it because of his coveted cronies. Maybe now he's mad the IUU folks know of their game in Alaska, and have decided that if Ted and the US-operations don't have to obey laws, then why should they. It must make him furious that they won't kickback some to him or Benito. Or maybe he's mad because they won't share it with his foreign cronies either. (Just like you are mad because the Public Integrity team might reach into your world, too.) It couldn't be possible that many of these IUU poachers are major Japanese corporations, could it? Or that they participate in the distribution of these huge illegal catches. Naw, Ted wouldn't be so conspiratorially nuts if his cronies were getting it, would he? Unless they were cutting him out - especially now that the feds are going to take him out anyway.

So you might start asking yourself why Ted is all of the sudden willing to put something like that on the Senate record. That amount is more than double the total Alaskan 200-mile EEZ's seafood value!!! If you know so much about fisheries, can you tell us what illegal, unreported and under-recorded fish/seafood Ted is talking about? And who those criminals are? It would take a massive conspiracy, well financed, well organized, to pull off a resource theft of such dimensions. Maybe Ted even knows who is doing it but won't tell us. He does sound nuts, right!?

If you could even spell 'genius', I still wouldn't respond to your mischaracterizations. It doesn't take a lot of smarts to know the truth. Otherwise, even the LCD's on the IRS squad (they admit to having many, because Congress will not fund them to hire the best in all cases) would not be able to catch the thieves that they have. Or do you consider their criminal investigations and audit assessments to be the delusions of a bunch of conspiracy nuts, too? Well, then Lord praise the nuts, because they are at least more aware than the blindsided fools in your world. Glory halleluiah!

Again, your cowardly opinion of me is none of my damned business, but we would like to know your opinion about (a publicly elected official) Ted's conspiracy-level ravings. Yes, in that case it's o.k. to hide behind your no-name, so your uncle Ted won't know who you are either.

July 14, 2008 - 5:12pm | Kodiakman

You didn't anwser the

You didn't anwser the question, describe how many years you fished and what seasons, to better demonstrate your vast knowledge of the indusrty and convince us of your great wealth of understanding of how fishing in the north pacific works. Maybe if we knew what and where your experience comes from we will better understand what point your really trying to make?
Please try to stay on topic instead of changing it to avoid the question, but like I said before if you are so knowledgeable you should have no trouble sharing your resume with us.

July 17, 2008 - 1:06am | staufen

Share your name.

.
{Vat!, no ebrius "anwser"?}

A hint - the past 15 years of the NPFMC have not been about fishing gear or skills, but about economic embezzlements of public commons, based on an entitlement arrogance, mixed with deep corruption, and unConstitutional and anti-Treaty allocations. A grandmother who does puzzles on a card tabletop may be more qualified than a fisher in that regard. But instead, it is the realm of lobbyists, cronies, liars and thieves - and the few citizens who dare to say No! for the sake of a public commons, in opposition to foreign-dominated colonialism, while you sound like the seagulls in Nemo greedily parotting "mine, mine, MINE!" Is that what the Sea taught you? Because it is not what it teaches true fishermen. And you, sir, have been "anwsered"...

July 25, 2008 - 5:23pm | Kodiakman

You didn't anwser the

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