Seafood Processing in Alas

Seafood Processing in Alas

Picture from wikipedia
Brief Facts Brief Facts

• Seafood processing is the third largest indus

Seafood processing is the third largest indus

Alaska.

• In 2006, 5 fisheries in AK were among the t

in money earned, in the nation.

• Alaska is the only state with a grind to 0.5 in

and discharge technology based limit and discharge technology based limit.

• All other states have conventional limits. All other states have conventional limits.
Picture from NMFS Fisheries of the United States 2006 report on commercial f
Picture from NMFS Fisheries of the United States 2006 report on commer
Ketchikan benthic assessment by Ger

Ketchikan benthic assessment by Ger

S di t fil S

edimen

t profile 

image; note the 

numerous methane gas numerous methane gas

bubbles interspersed throughout the fish 

waste chunks
Ketchikan BA Cont Ketchikan BA Cont.

Sediment profile i hi mage s

how

ing no 

detectable apparent 

RPD due to the high RPD due to the high

sediment oxygen demand of 

decomposing fish waste; similar redox values were found at 9 other stations in this immediate vicinity immediate vicinity
Google map of the City of Ketchikan w

processors marked b

y arrows
Select comments from tribes and citizen

durin

g public notice of last permit:

• Having lived my entire life in the Lower Yukon, I am 

concerned b h l i f d h di d a

bout t

he p

lants upr

iver 

from us an

d t

he di

impact the flowing waters have on our people, subsistfoods and the Environment downriver.

• Our community is very concerned for possible health 

to children playing around the fish waste. Bears and dalso attracted to the beaches f rther spreading possibalso attracted to the beaches, 

further spreading possib

contamination, as well as having the bears be a physicthreat to the community.

• In the past I have been repelled by the noxious odor o

residue that occurs on a seasonal basis as the prevailinwinds blow right into town causing great consternatiowinds blow right into town causing great consternatio

stomach.
Comments cont.

• While I’ve heard of obnoxious odors from burps of gas from 

that is decomposing on the seafloor and reports of fish waste 

washi b h f K t hik 

hing up on beaches across from Ketchikan, my own expe

been with the floating stuff that collects on my tie-up lines as piling to which I tie my boat.

• T ib l b f h N i Vill f E k l l 

Tribal members of the Native Village of Eyak rely on coastal 

resources to maintain their culture and traditional lifestyle. 

• The Native Village of Eyak suggests that technical advances 

20 years have made reasonable alternatives to discharge avaiprocessors and that this issue should be revisited.

• In order to maintain and protect water quality around Southea

communities with nearby seafood processors, EPA must officreinstate the germane effluent guidelines and apply the ‘best control technology currently available’ for seafood processinin Alaska.
For those who don’t know what ground waste looks lik

what is settlin

g on the sea floor.
Environmental and Human Impact

Environmental and Human Impact
Set net subsistence fishermen standing in ground fish 

comingled with sanitary waste. Fish waste fouls their 

makes it more difficult for them to fish.
Smothering of benthic communitie

the seafloor
Dead zones, areas where few specie

survive. 
Pile eruptions - eruptions o

waste from discharge areas on waste from discharge areas on 

ocean floor

, gg sendin

g lar

ge m

of decomposing fish waste u

th f d itti l the sur

face an

d emitting 

lar

amounts of sulfur dioxide 
Wastes can be brought 

up on hi h tid d hi

g

h tides an

d

left on the shoreline 

for long periods of for long periods of

time.
Dissolved oxygen sinks Dissolved oxygen sinks
Piles of seafood waste as large as 90 acre

Piles of seafood waste as large as 90 acre

no height restrictions. Some piles several 
One of many loads of waste from the dredging of a 

One of many loads of waste from the dredging of

a 

waste pile that hadn’t seen any discharges in over 1
Attraction of unwanted sea b
Aesthetics within towns i

unappealing
F d b d fi h Foam surroun

ds 

boats an

d fi

s

hermen
Bloody waste running down the beach