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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 2, 2017)
3A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • MONDAY, JANUARY 2, 2017 Strong market, agri-tourism help elk rancher succeed Elk herd the main attraction By JOHN O’CONNELL EO Media Group DRIGGS, Idaho — Rancher Kent Bagley and his sons Greg and Stephen derive almost a third of their income from agricultural tourism, and their farm-raised elk are the main attraction. The Bagleys bought their first 15 elk in the late 1990s, seeking to diversify their beef and dairy business. They’ve since given up the dairy, focus- ing on elk and beef cows. As with the dairy mar- ket, elk prices have ebbed and flowed — and while val- ues of most farm commodi- ties have declined lately, Ste- phen said elk meat, antlers and bulls raised for penned hunting operations have all risen. But even when the econ- omy crashed in 2008 and elk ranches were closing in Idaho, domestic Cervidae contin- ued to earn their keep for the Bagleys, thanks to tourism. Through www.elkadventures. com, their ranch offers over- Greg Bagley The Bagleys vaccinate an elk at their facility in Driggs, Idaho. They say the market for elk is up, and elk have also provided an attraction for agricultural tourism. night trips and day rides, which make stops by the elk pas- tures, and they take the pub- lic on paid bus tours of their elk operation. They also have a gift shop and rent cabins. “People love to see those baby elk, and we can get them right up close,” Stephen said, adding his proximity to Jack- son Hole, Wyo., and Yellow- stone National Park ensures a steady supply of visitors. Stephen explained rais- ing elk requires investing in separate handling facilities. The animals are skittish and slower to develop than cattle, requiring more than four years before they’re ready to sell. The industry is also heav- ily regulated. The Idaho State Department of Agriculture charges a $10 per head fee on domestic elk to fund its Cervi- dae program, including inspec- tions and investigations into escapes. Furthermore owners must test 10 percent of their elk post-slaughter, and all of the elk that die unexpectedly. According to the depart- ment’s most recent estimates, the state has about 50 commer- cial elk ranches that produce about 6,000 calves per year. “(The elk industry) has crept up a little bit in the last couple of years,” said deputy state veterinarian Scott Leib- sle, noting the easing of regu- lations on elk importation has contributed to the increase. The Bagleys have about 240 elk. They sell dropped antlers for craft-making, dog chews and use as anti-inflam- matory supplement in Asian countries. Antlers cut while still in velvet are the most valuable. They’ve paused their meat sales in recent years to build their herd but plan to resume supplying meat to cus- tomers, such as Jackson Hole restaurants, this fall. Bull elk sold to Idaho’s many penned hunting opera- tions — controversial private operations where hunters are guaranteed success — fetch the best prices, upwards of $6,000 per animal, depending on antler size. “Definitely the shooter-bull market right now is where the elk market is,” Greg said. “Now I can supply 15 bulls per year, and I have demand for 100 bulls per year.” Jeff Lerwill, who serves on the Idaho Elk Breeder’s Asso- ciation, and his wife Alana, operate a fenced hunting pre- serve in Sugar City, compris- ing 5 miles of rugged, private terrain where trophies include elk, buffalo and Texas dall sheep. They raise some of their own elk and host about 50 elk hunts during a busy year. “We’ve been hunting for 10 years,” Alana Lerwill said. “In the beginning, we could buy shooter bulls for $2,000. We’re lucky if we can buy them now for $5,000.” Dungeness crabbers on strike from California to Canada By JANIE HAR Associated Press AP Photo/Caleb Jones An ahi tuna sits packed in ice waiting to be auctioned at the United Fishing Agency in Honolulu in 2015. The Obama administration is issuing new rules it says will crack down on illegal fishing and seafood fraud by preventing unverifiable fish products from enter- ing the U.S. market. US issuing new rules to curb illegal fishing, seafood fraud Program will focus on ‘priority species’ By PATRICK WHITTLE Associated Press PORTLAND, Maine — The Obama administration is issuing new rules it says will crack down on illegal fishing and seafood fraud by prevent- ing unverifiable fish products from entering the U.S. market. The new protections are called the Seafood Import Monitoring Program, and they are designed to stop illegally fished and intentionally mis- identified seafood from getting into stores and restaurants by way of imported fish. The rules will require sea- food importers to report infor- mation and maintain records about the harvest and chain of custody of fish, officials with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said. The program will start by focusing on “priority species” that are especially vulnerable to illegal fishing, such as pop- ular food fish like tuna, sword- fish, Atlantic cod and grouper. The government hopes even- tually to broaden the program out to include all fish species, NOAA officials said. “It sends an important mes- sage to the international sea- food community that if you are open and transparent about the seafood you catch and sell across the supply chain, then the U.S. markets are open for your business,” said Catherine Novelli, a State Department undersecretary. Estimates of the economic damage of illegal fishing vary, but conservation group Oceana reported in a 2013 study that illegal fishing causes more than $10 billion in global losses every year. Some other estimates are higher. The rules will help make sure that importers are able to supply “the who, what, why, when, how of fishing,” said Beth Lowell, a senior cam- paign director with Oceana. “For the first time ever, some imported species will be held to the same standard that domestic wild caught species are,” Lowell said. The new rules are an out- growth of a presidential task force established in June 2014 to crack down on illegal, unre- ported and unregulated fish- ing and seafood fraud. NOAA officials said the new require- ments will allow regulators to trace seafood from its point of entry into the U.S. to the point when it was harvested from the sea. The information submitted by importers to comply with the rules will be kept confi- dential, and there is not a con- sumer labeling component. The National Marine Fish- eries Service, an arm of the National Oceanic and Atmo- spheric Administration, will administer the program, NOAA officials said. The rules go on the books Jan. 9 and compliance from importers is expected by Jan. 1, 2018. Shrimp and abalone are included in the plan, but implementation for those spe- cies will come later because of gaps in availability of informa- tion, NOAA officials said. SAN FRANCISCO — Some consumers may have to settle for not-as- fresh Dungeness crab and others could wait a little longer for their first taste of the season as fisher- men from Northern Cal- ifornia to the Canadian border strike after whole- sale buyers sought to lower the purchase price. The strike was extended Friday to include markets in San Francisco and Half Moon Bay, where custom- ers have been able to buy the holiday dinner sta- ple since November due to a season that opened in phases. In northern Ore- gon, crabbers who were set to start fishing Sun- day will not do so until a deal is reached, said John Corbin, chairman of the Oregon Dungeness Crab Commission. In south- ern Oregon, crabbers who had been fishing have tied up their boats, he said. The strike started Wednesday after Pacific Choice Seafood in Hum- boldt County, California, offered to pay $2.75 a pound for Dungeness crab, said Ken Bates, vice president of Humboldt Fishermen’s Mar- keting Association. Crabbers whose seasons had already opened had negotiated a price of $3 a pound. Prices were not set in all fisheries because the West Coast commercial Dunge- ness crab season opened in waves this year, due to ele- vated domoic acid levels that made the crustacean unsafe to eat. Crab fishermen who are receiving $3 a pound say they won’t let others receive any less for the wildly popu- lar seasonal food. The market price at Fish- erman’s Wharf at the start of the season ranged from $5.50 to $6.50 a pound, and prices generally increase as the season wears on and vol- ume shrinks. “The fishermen love that consumers love it. It is a beautiful product this year, but the fishermen need to be able to harvest it,” said Lisa Damrosch, vice president of the Half Moon Bay Ground- fish Marketing Association. Lorne Edwards, president of the Bodega Bay Fisher- man’s Marketing Associ- ation, said he expects the strike to continue through New Year’s Day. “The whole coast is all tied up,” he said. A spokesman for Pacific Choice did not return requests for comment. A spokesman for Ore- gon-based Pacific Seafood, which owns Pacific Choice, also did not return requests for comment. W A NTED Alder and Maple Saw Logs & Standing Timber N orth w es t H a rdw oods • Lon gview , W A Contact: John Anderson • 360-269-2500 COAST COMMUNITY RADIO KMUN 91.9FM The family of Arthur P. Clark, Sr. would like to thank each and every one of you for the love and support shown to us during the loss of our loved one. Your loving acts of kindness are very much appreciated and your support means so much to all of us. We could not have gotten through this without all of you. Please know we appreciate each and every one of you. We are truly blessed. seeks CLASSICAL music show hosts for morning shifts If you love classical, we will train you! 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The Hotel offers guests an unparalleled experience in a real working river... with diverse and exciting ship traffic to and from the Pacific Ocean. • Private riverview balconies in all rooms • Fireplace, Complimentary Wi-fi throughout hotel • Clawfoot Tub with views, Terry Robes • Complimentary Continental Breakfast • Wine and appetizers each afternoon • Full service Day Spa on site • Fitness Room, Hot Tub, Finnish Sauna Telephone 503.325.4996 Toll Free 888.325.4996 Facsimile 503.325.8350 www.cannerypierhotel IT’S THAT TIME OF YEAR! ½ PRICE WEDNESDAYS 60 & OVER EAT FOR HALF PRICE ALL DAY CHECK OUT OUR $ 6 DAILY SOUP & LUNCH SPECIALS MON: TOMATO BASIL & TRIPLE GRILLED CHEESE TUE: MINESTRONE & 1/2 REUBEN WED: BEEF BARLEY & 1/2 PATTY MELT THU: POTATO LEEK SOUP & FRENCH DIP FRI: CHICKEN TORTILLA & FISH TACOS OUR SOUPS ARE, OF COURSE, HOMEMADE OPEN DAILY AT 11AM No. 10 Basin Street • Astoria, Oregon 97103 “Locals Only Special” January 2017 * Limited Space Available $ Excludes New Year’s Eve Weekend 1 09 Please call hotel direct 503-325-4996 Per Night One Coupon per Stay Required Must Present Original Coupon at Check-in Deluxe King or Deluxe Double Queen Rates subject to change without notice. *Plus Applicable Tax 1 BLOCK OFF BROADWAY • 1 BLOCK FROM BEACH 20 N. 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