Alaska
Alaska’s 2020 salmon catch expected to be down 36% after a big 2019 season Anchorage Daily News by Laine Welch - April 22, 2020 Alaska’s total salmon catch for 2020 is projected to be down 36 percent from last year’s haul of 207 million fish, the eighth largest on record that was valued at nearly $658 million at the docks. https://www.adn.com/business-economy/2020/04/21/alaskas-2020-salmon-catch-expected-to-be-down-36-percent-after-a-big-2019-season/ Processors Looking to Hire 3,100 Seafood Workers Fishermen's New - April 22, 2020 Seafood processors seeking to hire more than 3,100 workers to process the catch in the upcoming commercial salmon fishery are working with the Alaska Department of Labor to recruit people in a manner that keeps everyone safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. http://fnonlinenews.blogspot.com/2020/04/processors-looking-to-hire-3100-seafood.html ADF&G has plans in place to manage this year’s fisheries Must-Read Alaska by Doug Vincent- Lang - April 20, 2020 Alaska’s fisheries are world-renowned. They feed Alaskans through subsistence, sport, and personal use fishing. Our commercial fisheries feed the world and our charter and guide industries provide much needed fishing access to both Alaskans and our guests and all contribute greatly to our state and local economies. https://mustreadalaska.com/adfg-has-plans-in-place-to-manage-this-years-fisheries/ Politics Corked again: Bristol Bay coalition’s Pebble Mine lawsuit dismissed National Fisherman by Jessica Hathaway - April 21, 2020 On Friday, April 17, U.S. District Court Judge Sharon Gleason dismissed a lawsuit seeking to reinstate proposed Clean Water Act protections for Bristol Bay. In 2014, the EPA proposed the protections for Bristol Bay, specifically aimed at habitat protection for wild salmon. The Pebble Limited Partnership filed its own suit to block the protections. Then in 2019, political appointees at the agency announced the withdrawal of the proposed protections. The lawsuit aimed to reverse the withdrawal. On Monday, March 2, members of the Bristol Bay Defense Alliance testified in federal district court in support of the lawsuit the group filed against the Environmental Protection Agency in October. https://www.nationalfisherman.com/alaska/corked-again-bristol-bay-coalitions-pebble-mine-lawsuit-dismissed/ National Urner Barry's Coronavirus Special Report - Volume II Seafood News - April 23, 2020 The global COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented event in modern food production and trade. Its impacts are far reaching—affecting consumer purchasing habits, distribution channels, labor, and more. Urner Barry released the first edition of its Coronavirus Special Report a few weeks ago and, already, the situation has changed drastically for many items in the protein complex. This updated Special Report sheds light on subsequent impacts seen throughout the various protein markets in recent weeks, with data reflective of the week ending April 17, 2020.
View the full report HERE. https://www.seafoodnews.com/Story/1169494/Urner-Barrys-Coronavirus-Special-Report-Volume-II Federal Register Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Reclassifying Sculpin Species in the Groundfish Fisheries of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands and the Gulf of Alaska A Proposed Rule by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on 04/23/2020 NMFS proposes regulations to implement Amendment 121 to the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) Management Area (BSAI FMP) and Amendment 110 to the FMP for Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) (GOA FMP), collectively referred to as Amendments 121/110. If approved, this proposed rule would prohibit directed fishing for sculpins by federally permitted groundfish fishermen and specify a sculpin retention limit in the GOA and BSAI groundfish fisheries. This action is necessary to properly classify sculpins in the BSAI and GOA FMPs. This proposed rule is intended to promote the goals and objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act), Amendments 121/110, the BSAI and GOA FMPs, and other applicable laws. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/04/23/2020-08145/fisheries-of-the-exclusive-economic-zone-off-alaska-reclassifying-sculpin-species-in-the-groundfish FYI’s Washington Seafood Companies Look to Keep Students Fed Chinook Observer by Luke Whittaker - April 23, 2020 A local seafood company is dipping into their salmon stockpile to help feed school kids in need. Fishpeople Seafood, a purveyor of sustainable seafood with partnerships with processors in Alaska, Oregon and Washington -including locally at Ilwaco Landing- donated dozens of boxes of smoked salmon jerky on Monday, April 20 to Ilwaco High School. "We wanted to part of the school lunch program to help kids getting lunches at home," said Ilwaco Landing co-owner Mike Shirley. Ilwaco Landing employees Tanner Hoven and Craig Smith carried the full pallet of smoked Alaska salmon jerky to the meal-delivery staging area in the lobby of the school, adding to a growing collection of goods already set for distribution. The donation will be used to supplement meals being delivered by the district. "We're doing whatever we can to help feed the children," Smith said. The smoked, all-natural Alaskan salmon jerky, packaged individually in 2-ounce bags, was originally destined for store shelves in grocers such as Whole Foods Market, but Shirley had the inventory pulled out of storage to help kids in need in Pacific, Tillamook and Multnomah counties. "We're utilizing the resources we have to help those close to us," Shirley said. In recent weeks the seafood processor has donated thousands of pounds of Dungeness crab to local businesses and service providers including post office, Coast Guard, and volunteer fire department personnel. Shirley is planning more donations in the coming weeks, including donating frozen salmon portions. "It's all about our community and making sure our kids are fed. This is a tough time for everyone," he said. https://www.seafoodnews.com/Story/1169558/Washington-Seafood-Companies-Look-to-Keep-Students-Fed
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