We are the skippers of Marina Lynn and Crescent Moon, respectively. Last July, we were operating our seiners in Port Valdez near Allison Point. The commercial opener was set at 6 a.m. by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game PWS Salmon Fishery Release No. 30.
Although we were aware of the opener time, in the chaos of that morning, we deployed our seine nets into the waters less than 30 seconds prior to the official opener time. We were not the first boats to do so, and we started the morning without any intent to deploy our gear into the waters early. For this unintentional error, we both were charged with commercial fishing violations. This simple mistake cost us a great deal of time, money and effort to resolve.
As a new season approaches, we wanted to take the time to share our experience with our fellow commercial fisherman. We hold our profession to be sacred, and we understand as much as any captain the challenges of managing crew and catch. As we go forward, we will be mindful to abide by all releases to the letter of the law, and we wish to encourage all other fishermen to do the same. Be safe out there.
Sincerely,
Greg Bosick
Tom Nelson
