Alaska/Pacific Coast
Sitka Tribe seeks answers and action for dwindling herring numbers in Alaska’s Sitka Sound Seafood Source by Ben Fisher - March 7, 2019 A court hearing was held in Juneau, Alaska earlier this month as part of a civil case filed by the Sitka Tribe against the Alaskan Department of Fish and Game, in an effort to have the department take action to address the dwindling numbers of herring in Sitka Sound, according to The Juneau Empire. https://www.seafoodsource.com/news/supply-trade/sitka-tribe-seeks-answers-and-action-for-dwindling-herring-numbers-in-alaska-s-sitka-sound International China Overtakes Japan as Alaska's Largest Seafood Importer SeafoodNews.com by Amy Zhong - March 11, 2019 China used to mean nothing more than just an Asian country for fishermen in Alaska, but in recent years it has become a magnet, attracting sellers and seafood products with increasingly great demand and deep-pocket buyers. Its seafood imports from Alaska has risen by about 20% in 2017 compared with that of 2016, while the import value was around $1 billion USD that year, according to media reports. And now, China has overtaken Japan and become the largest seafood importer of Alaskan seafood. In the past few years, there is an obvious increase in the demand for Japanese-style cuisines among China’s middle class and high-end consumers. This in turn means an increase in popularity of Alaska’s seafood among Chinese, especially those in the South China. Alaska has sold about 98% of its yellowfin sole to China, but they are still in short supply. There also is a noticeable increase in the demand for the once-unpopular herring roe after market promotions. Facing the trade war between America and China, Alaska has no need to worry, said Wei Zhang, the consultant for the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute, because it has tailored seafood products in accordance with consumers’ requirements. Good market positioning has helped Alaska win over consumers and establish a respectable status in China. With stable sales in traditional channels, it has also witnessed great increases in online sales. In order to better promote its seafood, Alaska has also hosted some events in China. For example, on March 4, the seafood association flew in renowned Japanese chef to Guangzhou to hold a cooking show about Alaska seafood, officially known as the Alaska Seafood Chef Seminar. Invited journalists not only wrote about the success of the event but also provided detailed recipes of relevant dishes in the news. https://www.seafoodnews.com/Story/1134621/China-Overtakes-Japan-as-Alaskas-Largest-Seafood-Importer Japan's seafood sector holds breath through advances and setbacks on Fukushima radiation Seafood Source - March 8, 2019 On 13 February, a robot arm successfully picked up pebble-sized pieces of radioactive fuel at Japan's Fukushima nuclear plant. The plant operator, Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO), sent a remote-controlled probe to the bottom of the plant's Number 2 reactor. It grasped five small pieces of debris from the fuel rods and lifted them a couple of inches. https://www.seafoodsource.com/news/food-safety-health/japans-seafood-sector-holds-breath-through-advances-and-setbacks-on-fukushima-radiation?utm_source=marketo&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter&utm_content=newsletter&mkt_tok=eyJpIjoiTXpOaE1ETXdZV1ZsWlRreCIsInQiOiJKWithNmFnd3l3YTNkRjlFT2owdDF3NEl5OVlUQ0ZoaFY5ZGpKMkR2NlVycEpyaWFFUWVTY3M0eHUrUFpUbDRtMlpremMzYnBvSnBcL09PR1cySnZjUkZpQnlWRHoxTk51MUFqRllONktDdHI2OGVlbWxwN05jK0dGcXdRSFVkSDgifQ%3D%3D Environment/Science Scientists see improved ocean conditions for young salmon Seattle Times - March 11, 2019 Ocean conditions are improving for salmon entering the ocean this year, several years after The Blob, an unusually warm water event that began forming in 2014, scientists announced Friday. http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2019/mar/11/scientists-see-improved-ocean-conditions-for-young/ Public comment period for Pebble's draft EIS underway, but critics stress shortcomings KLDG by Isabelle Ross - March 8, 2019 Critics hold that 90 days is inadequate to review the more than 1,400-page document, which they say excludes certain evaluations of how the mine could impact the environment. Pebble, which sees no egregious gaps, maintains that the comment period is adequate. https://www.kdlg.org/post/public-comment-period-pebbles-draft-eis-underway-critics-stress-shortcomings#stream/0 Federal Register Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pollock in Statistical Area 630 in the Gulf of Alaska A Rule by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on 03/12/2019 NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for pollock in Statistical Area 630 in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the B season allowance of the 2019 total allowable catch of pollock for Statistical Area 630 in the GOA. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2019/03/12/2019-04464/fisheries-of-the-exclusive-economic-zone-off-alaska-pollock-in-statistical-area-630-in-the-gulf-of FYI’s Opening Day 2019: Boating Through The Decades, May 4, 2019 Message from the 2019 Trio On behalf of Seattle Yacht Club, the 2019 Trio welcomes you to join a tradition that dates back to 1913 – Opening Day of Boating Season! Once again, we look forward to having our friends from around the Salish Sea share in a fun-filled week of Opening Day festivities. The relationships we share and the camaraderie that has been built over the years is what makes this event the success that it is. Plain and simple, it wouldn’t be the same without you on Saturday, May 4, 2019! https://www.seattleyachtclub.org/web/pages/opening-day
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.