Sorted by date Results 176 - 187 of 187
Holy Oncorhynchus! Any doubts about the brand power of Alaska salmon can be put to rest after the high visibility contretemps over the past few weeks – and the fish story has a happy ending. All of Alaska’s ‘powers that be’ converged on Wal-Mart and the National Park Service (NPS) when both reportedly snubbed Alaska salmon over a labeling issue. Both Governor Parnell and Senator Mark Begich sent letters to Wal-Mart blasting the ill-advised decision, and Senator Lisa Murkowski verbally (and very publicly) spanked the NPS for not followi...
The annual Petersburg Chamber of Commerce Banquet was awash in green and sparkles as business owners and residents attended to hear Representative Beth Kertulla speak about herself and her experiences, the legislative session and the future. Kertulla's family has a long history in Alaska and her father, Jay was the state's longest-serving legislator and the only legislator to have served as both Speaker of the House and Senate President. Kertulla, herself has been elected eight times to the... Full story
Cruise ship sewage mixing zone To the Editor: It is with a feeling of pride that I can now tell family and friends that I am now a 'Cruise ship sewage mixing zone Alaskan commercial fisherman'. Imagine, out on the beautiful waters of Southeast Alaska, catching salmon from the fecal and heavy metal polluted waters. It's only a million people or so a season on the cruise ships. And for sure, once word gets out salmon and seafood consumers around the world will all want to purchase our fecal and heavy metal laced seafood. A nod of thanks to our...
Dilution is the solution for pollution sums up the Parnell Administration policy when it comes to cruise ship discharges in Alaska waters. A bill being moved quickly by state lawmakers will repeal a 2006 citizens’ initiative that requires cruise ships to meet Alaska water quality standards at the point of discharge, and instead create mixing zones for dumping sewage, hazardous chemicals and other wastes. Alaskans won’t know where those zones are, as House Republicans rejected amendments to require disclosure of the locations. The measure, intro...
Halibut catches weren’t slashed as badly as people feared, although they still continue on a downward trend – and the outlook is grim. A coast wide catch of 31 million pounds was approved on Friday by the International Pacific Halibut Commission, a decline of 7.5 percent from last year, and far better than the 30% cut that was widely anticipated. Alaska’s share of the Pacific catch is 23 million pounds, down 2.5 million pounds across the board. The IPHC commissioners, three from the US and three from Canada, each said the 2013 annual meeti... Full story
JUNEAU – Gov. Sean Parnell is proposing changes to the way the state regulates wastewater from cruise ships – drawing criticism that his proposal would roll back provisions of a 2006 citizen initiative that required cruise ships to meet state water quality standards when dumping wastewater. The proposal, SB29 in the state Senate, got its first hearing Wednesday in front of the chamber’s Resources Committee. Larry Hartig, commissioner of the state Department of Environmental Conservation, said the proposal would align the rules for cruise ships...
“The World” will visit Petersburg on Sunday, July 29, according to Sally Dwyer, office manager of the Petersburg Chamber of Commerce. The World, launched in 2002 is the largest privately owned yacht on the planet. It measures 644 feet and is owned by the persons residing aboard the 165 private luxury residences. The owners, according to the ship’s website, determine the cruise itinerary. The residents wake up to a new destination every few days. The ship’s Enrichment Program brings experts onboard to prepare residents for experiences from wi...
The Hanseatic anchored in Frederick Sound and passed through the Narrows on Monday. The six deck, 400 foot, 5-star cruise ship hosts 184 passengers and 125 crew. The vessel is described as the only five-star expedition-cruise ship in the world and specializes in trips to Antarctica. The vessel has the highest ice class for passenger ships, E4. Approximately 160 guests were lightered into town for shopping and excursions, according to Sally Dwyer of the chamber of commerce....
The Safari Endeavor cruise ship docked in Petersburg Sunday morning and hosted a tour of the facilities for several Petersburg residents. Endeavor's captain, Jil Russell led the group throughout the ship explaining differences in the new Endeavor from the old. “We have the capabilities of putting 66 passengers in the water at any one time,” Russell said. “The kayak launch system built into the vessel makes it easy for anyone to enjoy the waters.” The passenger count has been reduced from 10...
SEATTLE (AP) — Fire destroyed an adventure tour boat being prepared for the Alaska cruise season Friday at Fishermen's Terminal, and the operator says the loss likely will total millions of dollars. Two people escaped from the Safari Spirit by climbing down a mooring line to the dock, said Tim Jacox, vice president of InnerSea Discoveries. Company owner Dan Blanchard was sleeping on board and was awakened at about 1 a.m. by popping noises. He called the fire department and got off the boat along with the engineer, Jacox said. The 105-foot yacht...
A long-time Petersburg doctor is now living and working in Antarctica. Dr. John Bergren, 50, is currently serving as the Lead Physician at McMurdo Station in Antarctica. Bergren is one of only 160 residents who will stay in McMurdo over the winter months, which runs from early February thru mid-October. Bergren arrived at the beginning of winter, when the population was about 1,000, he said. “There were some exciting moments for the medical staff about two weeks prior to our arrival,” Ber...
