Alaska/Pacific Coast
Alaska Fisheries Report — Jan. 29, 2020 KMXT by Maggie Wall - February 3, 2020 Both sides of the Sitka Sound herring lawsuit presented oral arguments this week. The suit brought by the Sitka Tribe of Alaska seeks to preserve the traditional herring spawn subsistence fishery. http://kmxt.org/2020/02/alaska-fisheries-report-jan-29-2020/ Up-and-coming fishermen meet with legislators at summit Cordova Times by Zachary Snowdon Smith - February 3, 2020 Eight scholarship recipients traveled to a fisheries training and networking event in Juneau, where they met with lawmakers, scientists and fisheries officials. https://www.thecordovatimes.com/2020/02/03/up-and-coming-fishermen-meet-with-legislators-at-summit/ International These are the 9 Seafood Items Exempt From 25% Tariffs; Read the Notice from the USTR Here Urner Barry by Ryan Doyle - February 4, 2020 The United States Trade Representative (USTR) removed 25% tariffs on nine seafood items including Alaskan sole, Alaskan plaice and shellfish meat. These products are processed in China, before being imported back into the U.S. The USTR posted a “Notice of Product Exclusions,” on January 31, which listed 119 total items that will be removed from the $200 Billion Tariff Action (List 3). This list imposed a 10% tariff on included items on September 24, 2018, before jumping to 25% in May 2019. The product exclusion notice drops the following nine seafood items from the tariff action: -Alaskan sole (yellowfin, rock or flathead), frozen in blocks, in cases with net weight of more than 4.5 kg (described in statistical reporting number 0304.83.5015) -Sole fillets, individually frozen, each fillet weighing more than 50 g but less than 150 g (described in statistical reporting number 0304.83.5015) -Alaskan plaice, frozen in blocks, in cases each with net weight of more than 4.5 kg (described in statistical reporting number 0304.83.5020) -Individually frozen fillets of flounder, including Arrowtooth Flounder (Atheresthes stomias) and Kamchatka Flounder (Atheresthes evermanni), each weighing 80 g or more but not exceeding 200 g (described in statistical reporting number 0304.83.5020) -Slipper lobster meat (Ibicus ciliatus), frozen, raw, whether whole or in pieces, put up for sale in bags each with a net weight of not more than 2.27 kg (described in statistical reporting number 0306.19.0061) -King crab meat, frozen in blocks each weighing at least 1 kg but not more than 1.2 kg, in airtight containers (described in statistical reporting number 1605.10.2010) -Snow crab meat (C. opilio), frozen in blocks, in airtight containers each with net weight of not more than 1.2 kg (described in statistical reporting number 1605.10.2022) -Dungeness crab meat, frozen in blocks, in airtight containers with net weight of not more than 1.2 kg (described in statistical reporting number 1605.10.2030) -Crab meat (other than King crab, Snow crab, Dungeness or swimming crabs), frozen in blocks, in airtight containers with net weight of not more than 1.5 kg (described in statistical reporting number 1605.10.2090) You can find the full notice from the USTR here. The exclusion dates back to when the tariff was initially implemented in September 2018, meaning that companies involved can receive compensation during that time span (September 2018 through January 2020). The USTR opened exclusion submission requests on June 24, 2019 and accepted submissions through September 30, 2019. A list of all previous exemptions can be found here. Urner Barry’s market reporter Lorin Castiglione broke down the effect tariff exclusions had on the haddock market back in December. "Since the exclusion, the twice frozen haddock market has been extremely unsettled. Each company must evaluate their current inventory levels and their positioning within the market, among other factors, to determine how to handle pricing on the product moving forward," Castiglione explained. https://www.seafoodnews.com/Story/1163138/These-are-the-9-Seafood-Items-Exempt-From-25-percent-Tariffs-Read-the-Notice-from-the-USTR-Here Opinion OPINION: Working together to bolster our fisheries The Arctic Sounder by Sen. Dan Sullivan - January 30, 2020 The seafood industry is the third-largest economic driver in Alaska, and our top employer. Seafood harvested in Alaska's waters accounts for more than 60% of the volume of all commercial fish caught in the U.S. and contributes 60,000 jobs and more than $5 billion to the Alaska economy. Our fishermen — the ultimate small businessmen — are also the top American exporters of seafood products. http://www.thearcticsounder.com/article/2005working_together_to_bolster_our_fisheries Op-Ed: At-sea Processors Association rebuts notion pollock processing generates high carbon emissions Seafood Source by Matt Tinning - January 30, 2020 Matt Tinning is director of sustainability and public affairs for the At-sea Processors Association (APA), a trade association representing six member companies that own and operate 16 U.S.-flag catcher/processor vessels that participate principally in the Alaska pollock fishery and U.S. West Coast Pacific whiting fishery. https://www.seafoodsource.com/news/environment-sustainability/op-ed-at-sea-processors-association-rebuts-claim-pollock-processing-generates-high-carbon-emissions
Alaska pollock fish sticks, surimi processing generates “significant” greenhouse gas emissions Seafood Source by Ben Fisher - January 24, 2020 The processing of Alaskan pollock into products such as fish sticks, surimi and fish fillets generates “significant greenhouse gas emissions,” researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz have found. https://www.seafoodsource.com/news/environment-sustainability/alaska-pollock-fish-sticks-surimi-processing-generates-significant-greenhouse-gas-emissions
Commentary: Proposed ferry schedule is significant blow to Cordova An open letter from the Cordova Chamber of Commerce Cordova Times by Cathy Renfeldt - January 31, 2020 To Whom It May Concern: Thank you for the opportunity to share our suggested adjustments to the proposed AMHS Summer 2020 schedule. After nine months without any form of road-system access to PWS communities, the originally proposed schedule landed another severe blow to the community of Cordova by scheduling no sailings into Cordova until May 20, 2020. Without marine highway transportation during this critical window in April and early May, Cordova’s commercial fishing industry and local economy would be significantly impacted, detaining many fishers from reaching the fishery with their vessels in time to participate in the most lucrative fishing periods of the season and possibly affecting the ability of some hatcheries and processors to effectively move seasonal staff, materials, and supplies into town. https://www.thecordovatimes.com/2020/01/31/commentary-proposed-ferry-schedule-is-significant-blow-to-cordova/
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.