Alaska/Pacific Coast
Quake update: Alaska’s 7.0 rumble leaves region shaken but fleets unharmed National Fisherman by Charlie Ess - December 3, 2018 A massive earthquake struck south central Alaska Friday morning Nov. 30, causing widespread damage to buildings, homes, roads and schools. The National Tsunami Warning Center in Palmer issued a warning initially after the quake but revised its assessment that there was no danger of a large wave and rescinded its announcement shortly after. https://www.nationalfisherman.com/alaska/quake-update-alaskas-7-0-rumble-leaves-region-shaken-but-fleets-unharmed/ Permit stacking, drift vessel length and subsistence proposals dominate BOF public testimony KDLG By Avery Lill - November 29, 2018 The Alaska Board of Fisheries Bristol Bay Finfish meeting is underway in Dillingham. It kicked off yesterday with reports from Alaska Department of Fish and Game staff and public testimony on the 47 proposals related to commercial, subsistence and sport fishing in the region. Public testimony wrapped up this afternoon, with 72 people signed up to share with the board their hopes and concerns for proposed regulation changes. https://www.kdlg.org/post/permit-stacking-drift-vessel-length-and-subsistence-proposals-dominate-bof-public-testimony#stream/0 Sitka hatchery non-profit forecasts strong chum salmon returns in 2019 KFSK by Joe Viechnicki - December 3, 2018 Strong returns of hatchery chum salmon are expected in Southeast Alaska next summer and fall. Those include the first returns of adult fish expected at a new remote release site near Petersburg, a healthy run at a site near Kake and a second strong year expected at a site south of Sitka. https://www.kfsk.org/2018/12/03/sitka-hatchery-non-profit-forecasts-strong-chum-salmon-returns-in-2019/ NOAA announces another buyout for Southeast Alaska purse seiners to remove an additional 36 licenses SeafoodNews by John Sackton - December 4, 2018 NOAA announced that a second buyout would take place in the Southeast Alaska salmon purse seine fishery. in 2011, Congress approved loans of up to $23.5 million for a buyout program, and existing permit holders voted to support a loan of $13.1 million to buyback 64 licenses. in 2018, the Southeast Revitalization Association submitted a request to NOAA to use the remainder of the funds, $10.4 million, to fund another buyout round. NOAA will hold a referendum among the 315 existing permit holders, who will have to gain majority approval to take on the additional loan. If the plan is approved, NOAA would retire an additional 36 licenses. Those remaining in the fishery agree to repay the loan through a landings tax, administered by NOAA. The voting period is scheduled to begin January 15, 2019, and end 30 days later on February 14th. The Southeast Alaska purse seine fishery harvests primarily pink salmon and some chum salmon. https://www.seafoodnews.com/Story/1125190/NOAA-announces-another-buyout-for-Southeast-Alaska-purse-seiners-to-remove-an-additional-36-licenses Environment/Science Climate change: Where we are in seven charts and what you can do to help BBC News - December 2, 2018 Representatives from nearly 200 countries are gathering in Poland for talks on climate change - aimed at breathing new life into the Paris Agreement. https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-46384067 Federal Register Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; Fisheries Off West Coast States; Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery; Groundfish Bottom Trawl and Midwater Trawl Gear in the Trawl Rationalization Program A Rule by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on 12/03/2018 This rule revises Federal regulations that currently restrict the use and configuration of bottom and midwater trawl gear for vessels fishing under the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery's Trawl Rationalization Program. The revisions implemented through this rule were developed by the Pacific Fishery Management Council to address restrictions that are no longer necessary because of changes to the fishery including implementation of the Trawl Rationalization Program in 2011 and improved status of a number of overfished rockfish stocks. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2018/12/03/2018-26194/magnuson-stevens-act-provisions-fisheries-off-west-coast-states-pacific-coast-groundfish-fishery Fishing Capacity Reduction Program for the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery A Notice by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on 12/03/2018 NMFS issues this notice to decrease the fee rate to 4.0 percent for the Pacific Coast Groundfish fee-share fishery to repay the $28,428,719 groundfish sub-loan of the $35,662,471 reduction loan that financed the Pacific Coast Groundfish fishing capacity reduction program. NMFS annually recalculates the fee rate that will be reasonably necessary to ensure reduction loan repayment within the specified 30-year term. NMFS has determined that the current fee rate of 4.5 percent for the groundfish fishery is projected to collect more than the annual amortization amount needed for 2019. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2018/12/03/2018-26207/fishing-capacity-reduction-program-for-the-pacific-coast-groundfish-fishery FYI’s New governor names acting head of Fish and Game Anchorage Daily News by James Brooks - December 3, 2018 JUNEAU — Doug Vincent-Lang, a former Alaska Department of Fish and Game official under Gov. Sean Parnell, will be the acting head of the agency under Gov. Mike Dunleavy, the new governor announced Monday. https://www.adn.com/politics/2018/12/03/new-governor-names-acting-head-of-fish-and-game/
Ann Owens Pacific Seafood Processors Association Office Manager 1900 W Emerson Place Suite 205, Seattle, WA 98119 Phone: 206.281.1667 E-mail: pspafish@gmail.com; Website: www.pspafish.net Our office days/hours are Monday-Friday 8:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, any copyrighted work in this message is distributed under fair use without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for non-profit research and educational purposes only. *Inclusion of a news article, report, or other document in this email does not imply PSPA support or endorsement of the information or opinion expressed in the document.