Transcript CommFish
CommFish: All About Alaska’s
Commercial Fisheries
Collections
34th IAMSLIC Conference, Suva, Fiji
15 September 2008
Daria O. Carle
UAA / APU Consortium Library, University of Alaska Anchorage, USA
Celia M. Rozen and Edward Kazzimir
Alaska Resources Library & Information Services, Anchorage, Alaska, USA
Who manages Alaska’s fisheries?
Commercial fisheries of Alaska fall under a mix of
state and federal management jurisdictions.
In general, the state of Alaska (Dept of Fish & Game)
has management authority for all salmon, herring,
and shellfish fisheries.
The federal government (National Marine Fisheries
Service) has management authority for the majority
of groundfish fisheries, except for those within three
nautical miles of shore.
Alaska’s Commercial Fisheries
Economic Importance
$1.3 billion gross earnings in 2005
World-scale industry
Major source of employment in the state
Core economy for much of coastal Alaska
Export revenues significant to state economy
‘Commercial Fisheries’ in Alaska
Salmon Fisheries
five Pacific salmon species (Oncorhynchus sp.)
Herring Fisheries
Pacific herring (Clupea pallasi)
Groundfish Fisheries*
includes pollock, Pacific cod, sablefish, Atka mackerel,
lingcod, and numerous rockfish and flatfish species
(*Halibut are not considered a groundfish and are managed by
the International Pacific Halibut Commission.)
Shellfish Fisheries
several species of crab, shrimp and clams, scallops, sea
urchins, sea cucumbers, octopus, and squid
AK Dept of Fish & Game
Commercial Fisheries Administrative Units
What is the CommFish Collection?
Unique data from the Commercial Fisheries Division
of Alaska Dept of Fish & Game
Contains current and pre-statehood (1959) data
Variety of reports, some for general audience; others
more technical in nature
Useful source of information on methodology,
statistics, and biometrics
Primarily print, but also includes some film
Previously housed in an on-site office library and at
another library location in southeast Alaska
ARLIS – Alaska Resources Library &
Information Services
‘…the mother lode of Alaska resources information...’
Most complete collection of its kind in the world
Innovative partnership of state, federal, and
university founders
Over 230,000 customers served since it was
established in 1997
Winner of the 2001 National Award for Library
Service
ARLIS’ State, Federal, & University
Founding Partners:
Alaska Department of Fish & Game
Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council
UAA Environment & Natural Resources Institute
U.S. Bureau of Land Management
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
U.S. Geological Survey
U.S. Minerals Management Service
U.S. National Park Service
CommFish includes four series:
Annual Management Reports
Cumulative data for catch, escapement, economic
factors, and fishery management policies
Regional Information Reports
In-depth focus on a topic of regional interest
Staff Reports to Alaska’s Board of Fish
‘White papers’ affecting policy decisions
Data Reports*
Data produced by the four regions encompassing the
most prolific fisheries
CommFish
Cataloging complications
Written by agency personnel, who are scientists, not
publishers
Frequent changes in authorship and series titles
Publication sometimes dependent on staff turnover
and workload
Drafts of reports occasionally appear before being
finalized, resulting in multiple versions
Other inconsistencies and oddities that defy
cataloging rules
Cataloging complications
1. Changes in the geographic
coverage of a reporting office
One annual report can have various titles over a
period of years
See the following example…
Year
Name of Regional Office on Annual Report
1931-1938
1939-1950
Central Alaska, Seward-Katalla District
Central District, Prince William Sound, Copper &
Bering Rivers, Resurrection Bay
Central District, Prince William Sound, Copper River,
Bering River
Central District, Prince William Sound, Copper River,
Bering-Yakataga Area
Cordova Area
Prince William Sound Area
Central Region
1951-1955
1956-1959
1960-1970
1971-1991
1992-2002
Cataloging complications
2. Geographic names
Alaska has:
50 Fish Creeks
39 Slate Creeks
24 Crooked Creeks
28 Clear Creeks
15 Eureka Creeks (8 in the Nome Census Area)
11 Iron Creek(s) (1 is a village, 10 are streams)
8 Twelve-mile Creeks
8 Clearwater Creeks (2 in the same river watershed)
CommFish Collection
Current status
Most Data Reports have been cataloged and are
now included in ARLIS’ online catalog.
http://www.arlis.org
Regional Info Reports and Annual Mgmt Reports
scanned by Alaska Dept of Fish & Game have been
copied to ARLIS’ server and also made available
electronically through the online catalog.
No official circulation numbers yet, but usage is
expected to grow with increased availability of the
data.
Any questions?
Thank you very much!