Alaska/Pacific Coast
Commercial fisheries scramble to get permitted Industry relies on federal employees now furloughed for required paperwork, inspections so they can harvest Cordova Times by Margaret Bauman - January 11, 2019 A government shutdown called by President Trump to force funding of a border wall is now impacting Alaska’s multi-million-dollar seafood industry, which relies on federal employees now furloughed to process mandatory permits and participate in critical fisheries research. https://www.thecordovatimes.com/2019/01/11/commercial-fisheries-scramble-to-get-permitted/ Pots dropped: Oregon Dungeness season is in full swing Nataional Fishermen by Paul Molyneaux - January 7, 2019 The Tri-State Dungeness Crab Committee, which oversees the northern California, Oregon and Washington Dungeness crab fisheries, opened the season between Cape Arago, Ore., and Klipsan Beach, Wash., after a month-long delay. At 8 a.m. on January 1, 73 hours before the opening, Dungeness crab pots finally splashed into the water off the coast of Oregon and southern Washington. https://www.nationalfisherman.com/west-coast-pacific/pots-dropped-oregon-dungeness-season-is-in-full-swing/ National Government Shutdown Curtails F.D.A. Food Inspections New York Times by Sheila Kaplan - January 9, 2019 WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration has stopped routine food safety inspections of seafood, fruits, vegetables and many other foods at high risk of contamination because of the federal government’s shutdown, Dr. Scott Gottlieb, the agency’s commissioner, said on Wednesday. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/09/health/shutdown-fda-food-inspections.html Labeling and Marketing 3MMI - Are Flounder Fillets Still an Affordable Whitefish Option? TradexFoods - January 14, 2019 Preliminary harvest totals for 2018 from NOAA detailed 173 thousand metric tonnes caught across all three species, compared to 179 thousand in 2017. The fishery has been cause for concern for several years when previously the supply was bountiful for Chinese processors. What used to be an affordable whitefish option is now double the price of Pollock fillets and approaching Pacific Cod loin pricing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=5&v=WfEh25IF_zs FYI’s Changed schedule coming for NPFMC’s Portland meeting The Cordova Times - January 11, 2019 A federal government shutdown over the Trump administration’s demand that Congress pay for a southern border wall will force a considerable change of schedule if it continues for the February meeting of the North Pacific Fishery Management Council in Portland, OR. https://www.thecordovatimes.com/2019/01/11/changed-schedule-coming-for-npfmcs-portland-meeting/ Meet Fish and Game's new acting commissioner KTVA by Liz Raines - January 11, 2019 The Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game's new acting commissioner, Douglas Vincent-Lang, is the only one to apply for the job. His history in the department dates back to 1981 when he began as a research and management biologist for the Division of Sport Fish. When he ended his career 34 years later, it was as Director of Wildlife Conservation. https://www.ktva.com/story/39774885/meet-dept-of-fishandgames-new-acting-commissioner
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.