Alaska/Pacific Coast
Fishing community takes precautions as it readies for salmon season Alaska Journal of Commerce by Elwood Brehmer - April 1, 2020 As Alaska’s top doctor put it, “We know the fish are coming regardless of COVID-19 or not and we can’t ask them to stay home.” As a result, government officials and fishing stakeholders statewide are working to ensure Alaska can still have a strong summer salmon season even amidst a potentially prolonged COVID-19 winter. https://www.alaskajournal.com/2020-04-01/fishing-community-takes-precautions-it-readies-salmon-season Alaska faces bleak fiscal future with COVID-19: ‘There is no good news out there’ KTUU by Sean Maguire - March 31, 2020 ANCHORAGE (KTUU) - With the impact of COVID-19, the State of Alaska’s fiscal outlook is bleaker than ever, making for an extremely tough budgetary environment when the Legislature next convenes. https://www.ktuu.com/content/news/Alaska-faces-bleak-fiscal-future-with-COVID-19-There-is-no-good-news-out-there-569263181.html Alaska aerial survey detects 4 miles of herring spawn Washington Times by Associated Press - April 1, 2020 SITKA, Alaska (AP) - The Alaska Department of Fish and Game measured miles of herring spawn in Sitka Sound, an official said. https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/apr/1/alaska-aerial-survey-detects-4-miles-of-herring-sp/ St. Paul Island Bans All Non-Essential Travel Fishermen's News - April 1, 2020 The city’s location in the midst of the Central Bering Sea is usually considered a disadvantage because of its remoteness, but during the pandemic, the Saint Paul City Council has taken steps to keep the raging coronavirus from infecting their Pribilof Island fishing community. http://fnonlinenews.blogspot.com/2020/04/st-paul-island-bans-all-non-essential.html International Russia Hopes to Significantly Increase Exports of Pollock Fillets to U.S. Market This Year SeafoodNews.com by Eugene Gerden - March 31, 2020 Russia hopes to significantly increase exports of pollock fillets to the U.S. market this year, with the goal to more actively compete with Chinese producers, according to recent statements, made by some leading Russian fish producers and local analysts. The ongoing spread of the coronavirus has resulted in the almost complete suspension of the China-Russia fish trade, forcing Russian fisherman to start a search of alternative markets for their fish, particularly the U.S. So far, a significant part of the U.S. market of imported pollock products accounted for the Chinese supplies, however there is a possibility such balance could be changed due to the intention of Russian fisherman to significantly expand their presence in North America. According to data from the Russian Federal Agency of Fisheries (Rosrybolovstvo), in 2019 China delivered 33.400 tons of pollock fillet to the United States for the total sum of US$ 98 million. This is a significantly higher figure than 2018, when supplies amounted to 19.300 tonnes in volume and US$48.4 million in value terms. In general, at present China accounts for more than 85% of pollock fillet imports to the U.S. In the meantime, according to Russian fisherman, most of these pollock fillets are produced by China from Russian raw materials. Due to this, Russian producers plan to significantly reduce the supplies of fish to the Chinese market in favour of domestic fish processing plants. Last year several large-scale facilities specializing in pollock processing were officially commissioned in Russia, most of which will be primarily oriented for exports. https://www.seafoodnews.com/Story/1167730/Russia-Hopes-to-Significantly-Increase-Exports-of-Pollock-Fillets-to-US-Market-This-Year FYI’s Alaska Legislature passes budget with $1,000 PFD, no stimulus Alaska Public Media & KTOO by Andrew Kitchenman - March 29, 2020 The Alaska Legislature passed a budget over the weekend with roughly $5.4 billion in state spending. It includes funding for $1,000 Permanent Fund dividends, but no stimulus payments. https://www.alaskapublic.org/2020/03/29/alaska-legislature-passes-budget-with-1000-pfd-no-stimulus/ Lawmakers approve $66.7M appropriation to run Alaska ferries Alaska Public Media by Jacob Resneck - March 30, 2020 The state Legislature has approved a budget that lawmakers say should keep the Alaska Marine Highway System running year-round. In the past year, cost cutting, a summer labor strike and mechanical failures resulted in months-long service gaps, both planned and unplanned, for Alaska’s ferry system. https://www.alaskapublic.org/2020/03/30/lawmakers-approve-66-7m-appropriation-to-run-alaska-ferries/ OneNOAA Science Seminars NOAA - April 2020 A joint effort by several NOAA seminar partners to help share science and climate seminars and information across NOAA and our constituents. To hear about upcoming OneNOAA Science seminars you can join our weekly e-mail of OneNOAA seminars (anyone can join the list) by https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/seminars/
Pacific Seafood Processors Association 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.