IPHC makes port call in Anchorage

The International Pacific Halibut Commission is holding its annual meeting today through Friday at the Hilton Anchorage.

Of course, the IPHC annual meeting is a big event on the commercial fisheries calendar. It's when the bilateral panel — three members from the United State and three from Canada — sets catch limits for the upcoming season.

Here's a handout, known as the Bluebook, containing the meeting schedule, a summary of the 2011 fishery, the latest assessment of the Pacific halibut stock, and much more.

As previously reported here on Deckboss, the meeting is likely to culminate with some rather dismal news.

This is cool

The Alaska Sea Grant Marine Advisory Program is partnering with Integrated Marine Systems Inc. to offer the one-day refrigeration workshop March 29 in Anchorage.

The workshop is designed to help commercial fishermen better use and maintain onboard refrigeration systems.

Interested? Sign up here.

Norton Sound Seafood House to make its debut

Nome cooking on Concourse C.

Now this sounds tasty. A grand opening ceremony for the new Norton Sound Seafood House at the Anchorage airport is set for 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tuesday.

The Norton Sound Economic Development Corp., one of Alaska's Community Development Quota fishing companies, is partnering on the themed restaurant with HMSHost, a global shopping and dining concessionaire with a contract at the airport.

The eatery is expected to offer items such as halibut po' boys and king crab cakes. But we'll see for sure once the place opens.

The airport location is a marketing coup for Norton Sound, which harvests a share of Bering Sea fish and crab for the benefit of a group of villages in the Nome area.

"The Norton Sound Seafood House is a showcase of the fisheries, resources and the small-boat fishermen of remote Northwest Alaska," says a press release sent out last week.