Alaska/Pacific Coast
PWS humpy harvest late, compressed but strong Likely culprit is record heat wave, drought conditions Cordova Times by Margaret Bauman - August 28, 2019 Commercial harvests of humpies in Prince William Sound rose to over 34 million fish through Tuesday, Aug. 20, up nearly 12 million fish in seven days, while the overall salmon harvest for the Sound rose from 30.5 million to nearly 42 million for the same period. https://www.thecordovatimes.com/2019/08/28/pws-humpy-harvest-late-compressed-but-strong/ New British Columbia projects aim to protect salmon Cordova Times - August 28, 2019 Research and restoration projects are in the works on Vancouver Island, British Columbia to address declining salmon stocks, Canadian government officials said on Monday, Aug. 26. https://www.thecordovatimes.com/2019/08/28/new-british-columbia-projects-aim-to-protect-salmon/ Pink salmon payout National Fisherman by Laine Welch - August 27, 2019 Applications should now be in the hands of Alaska salmon fishermen and processors hurt by the 2016 pink salmon fishery failure. NOAA Fisheries last month approved $56.3 million in relief funds at Kodiak, Prince William Sound, Chignik, Lower Cook Inlet, South Alaska Peninsula, Southeast Alaska, and Yakutat. https://www.nationalfisherman.com/alaska/pink-salmon-payout/
Politics Council May Add Ferry Service, Fish Taxes To Unalaska's Lobbying Priorities KCUB by Laura Kraegel - August 28, 2019 Continued ferry service and shared fisheries taxes. These are some of the new lobbying priorities under consideration as the Unalaska City Council prepares for meetings next month with its state and federal lobbyists. https://www.kucb.org/post/council-may-add-ferry-service-fish-taxes-unalaskas-lobbying-priorities International China patrols target IUU in North Pacific Seafood Source by Mark Godfrey - August 28, 2019 China is flexing its muscles as an enforcer of international fishery rules after moving to enlarge its Coast Guard and place it under military command. https://www.seafoodsource.com/news/environment-sustainability/china-patrols-target-iuu-in-north-pacific?utm_source=marketo&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter&utm_content=newsletter&mkt_tok=eyJpIjoiTm1VMFpUTTVOakZpWWpabSIsInQiOiJleHRMTE9BTzZJNGQ0YlZKR3VmQmNEbGtpQXNrdVBvUFBTMUcxNkhYZWNhMmhrK09jRHE2Wk9zN0pWb3F0Vk9OcUplVHUrZWFSdDY0V3NlUmt6eEpGWTNBbUc4cjNialBaaHZycHdmd0NvQytKUjVvUGdWSjZEdGhVMEsreGI5YSJ9 Environment/Science Finding the Carbon Footprint of Wild Alaska Pollock SeafoodNews.com by Peggy Parker - August 28, 2019 The Association of Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers (GAPP) wants a science-based understanding of the total environmental impact over the life span -- from harvesting to the plate -- of Alaska pollock. Last week they selected a consultant to complete a comprehensive Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of the Wild Alaska Pollock industry. Renowned sustainability consultant Quantis will conduct the LCA over the next seven months. Headquartered in Switzerland, Quantis has offices there and in Paris, Milan, Boston, and Bogota. LCA is an internationally-recognized way to evaluate the environmental impacts of products and services throughout their life cycle, beginning with raw material extraction and including all aspects of transportation, manufacturing, use, and end-of-life treatment. Quantis provides data and strategies for broad-based industries as well as specific products. For pollock, it will compare its environmental impacts from ‘cradle to grave’ with that of other proteins. Although pollock’s sustainability is widely known, a science-based, data-driven report on its enviornmental impacts has not been done. “This LCA will serve as the foundation for the industry’s sustainability story, helping to provide the necessary proof points for Wild Alaska Pollock customers and consumers seeking greater detail on the fishery’s sustainability indicators,” said Craig Morris, GAPP Chief Executive Officer. “We are beyond excited to have partnered with such a respected, qualified firm to help measure our progress in terms of carbon footprint and other key sustainability indicators,” said Morris. “We believe the results will help our customers get a better picture of the environmental profile of Wild Alaska Pollock and confirm its lower impacts relative to other proteins.” GAPP received a number of proposals in response to their Request for Proposals sent in April. The proposals were reviewed by the GAPP Sustainability Committee, finalists were selected and interviews occured last June. The Board of Directors approved the committees final determiniation earlier this month. “I have no doubt that Quantis is the best choice for this significant project,” said Bob Desautel, CEO of Global Seas and Chair of the GAPP Sustainability Committee. “Quantis is well-known amongst many of our key customers and I know they will work to quantify and qualify these results so that we can best communicate them to our key industry decision makers and customers.” Customers of Wild Alaska Pollock want more information about the relative impacts compared to other proteins. Much of the recent research into food system environmental impacts indicates that the range of emission intensity differences between food systems -- and specifically animal protein production systems -- is large and driven from a diverse and varied range of greenhouse gas emitting inputs and processes. GAPP says evidence would suggest that the Wild Alaska Pollock fishery’s carbon footprint is significantly lower than other proteins, but they admit that relatively little research using LCA methodology that has been published. The full LCA is expected to take approximately seven months and will adhere to the ISO 14040-44 standards and the PAS2050 standard, which are the industry gold-standard methodologies for LCA implementation. After the LCA is completed, including an independent review by a panel of industry experts, Quantis will work with GAPP’s agency of record, Ketchum, to develop materials that communicate the results to both Wild Alaska Pollock customers and consumers, both in North America and abroad. “Wild Alaska Pollock is an amazing fish that we believe is well ahead of the curve when it comes to sustainability—it’s time we measure the steps the industry has taken to be as conscientious as possible and use those metrics to further develop the Wild Alaska Pollock narrative,” said Morris. https://www.seafoodnews.com/Story/1150904/Finding-the-Carbon-Footprint-of-Wild-Alaska-Pollock Colder waters off West Coast mark end of “the blob” San Siego Union Tribune by Deborah Sullivan Brennan - August 27, 2019 Record high Pacific Ocean temperatures recorded off the West Cost in recent years have receded to near normal, according to a report on the California Current. https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/environment/story/2019-08-27/sd-me-fish-blob-ocean-warming-humpback-whale-sea-lion-el-nino FYI’s Alaska Symphony of Seafood Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation announces the 2020 Alaska Symphony of Seafood Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation - August 19, 2019 The Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation (AFDF) announced the Call for Product for the 27th annual Alaska Symphony of Seafood which culminates in 2020. The Alaska Symphony of Seafood is a competition for new value-added products made from Alaska seafood. The overall goal is to inspire innovative ways to fully utilize and increase the value of Alaska’s seafood. The Call for Product is now available. Entry forms and fees are due by October 15, 2019. All information is available at AFDF’s website. https://www.afdf.org/symphony-of-seafood/
Ann Owens Pacific Seafood Processors Association Office Manager 1900 W Emerson Place Suite 205, Seattle, WA 98119 Phone: 206.281.1667 E-mail: admin@pspafish.net; 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.