Alaska Fish & Wildlife News
July 2008

Entangled Sea Lions

About 40 sea lions lounged on the rocks at the Benjamin Island haulout north of Juneau, and one was injured. A thin, white plastic packing band circled his neck and cut deep into his skin.

Two biologists studied the animal from a skiff 40 yards off the rocks. Lauri Jemison and Jamie King of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game discussed possible ways to free the entangled animal. None seemed very promising.

Jemison and King are marine mammal researchers and they're trying to ...   Entangled Sea Lions ArticleContinued

Fish and Game’s Waterfowl Program

If the federal government is responsible for managing migratory birds, why does Fish and Game maintain a state waterfowl program?

Tom Rothe, Waterfowl Program Coordinator for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, says he frequently gets asked that question. The reason, he said, can be explained by understanding a bit about the history of waterfowl management in the United States.

Around the turn of the century, birds were killed in great numbers for their feathers and meat. ...   Waterfowl Program ArticleContinued

Invasive Pike Eradication for Fishery Restoration

There is a lot of confusion about northern pike in Alaska. Are they a native or an invasive species? The answer is actually “yes” to both, but it depends on where you are.

The northern pike is native to most of Alaska, but it does not naturally occur south and east of the Alaska Mountain Range except for a remnant population near Yakutat. Pike are top-level predators in aquatic food chains and are highly piscivorous (fish eating). Outside their native range, trout, salmon and other ...   Invasive Pike ArticleContinued

Census shows decline of the Western Arctic Caribou

Every caribou on every photo taken of the Western Arctic Caribou Herd in a July 2007 photo census has finally been counted, yielding a new population estimate of 377,000 caribou – a decline of 113,000 animals since the last count in 2003. While concerned about the results, Alaska Department of Fish and Game caribou biologist Jim Dau is not convinced that it's downhill from here for the herd. What he is sure of is that there is keen interest in whatever is happening with the state's largest herd, ...   Caribou Decline ArticleContinued

Bear Safety By Haiku

What do garbage, shorts and bears have in common?

Nothing really, except those were the words poets were challenged to use when writing haikus for the recent “Bear Aware Trash Talk Poetry Challenge.”

The poetry contest, which drew about 30 entries, was judged by Fish and Game Anchorage area biologist Rick Sinnott. Sinnott happens to enjoy writing humorous wildlife haikus and has won prizes for his submissions to the Anchorage Press, the city's alternative weekly newspaper.

Haikus, ...   Haiku Bears ArticleContinued

Editorial Why Monitor Sport Fishing Guides
Sport Fish Charter/Guide Logbooks

In 2004, House Bill 452 established statewide licensing requirements for sportfishing guide business owners and sport-fishing guides. It also established statewide reporting requirements for freshwater operators that previously applied only to saltwater operators. This law became effective on January 1, 2005 as Alaska Statute 16.40 Article 5.

Before this there were no reporting requirements for freshwater harvest, and decisions by the Board of Fisheries on regulation of this industry ...   Fishing Guides ArticleContinued