Alaska
Alaska Fisheries Report — June 25, 2020 KMXT by Maggie Wall - June 30, 2020 You may recall last week we reported that coronavirus was found in China on chopping boards used for European salmon. Many wondered how it might impact Alaska’s market. In a follow-up story this week we look at what one economist calls a bigger hurdle for the industry how the coronavirus is disrupting the logistics in terms of processing and delivery—including the safety of workers. https://kmxt.org/2020/06/alaska-fisheries-report-june-25-2020/ Weathervane scallop fishery shut for the season Cordova Times - June 30, 2020 Fishing for weathervane scallops in Registration Area E of Prince William Sound will remain closed for the 2020-21 season, Alaska Department of Fish and Game officials said on Tuesday, June 23. https://www.thecordovatimes.com/2020/06/30/weathervane-scallop-fishery-shut-for-the-season/ IB 20-45: Notice of Alaska Observer Requirements for Partial Coverage Fleets Effective June 28, 2020 NOAA Fisheries - June 26, 2020 NOAA fisheries is in the process of positioning observers at select ports throughout Alaska to meet monitoring objectives for vessels in the Partial Coverage Category of the North Pacific groundfish and Pacific Halibut fisheries. NOAA Fisheries has identified ports in Alaska where current travel and lodging conditions allow observers to meet and maintain applicable health mandates for deployment into the commercial fisheries. These ports include: Akutan, Dutch Harbor/Unalaska, False Pass Homer, Juneau, Ketchikan, King Cove, Kodiak, Nome, Petersburg, Sand Point, Seward, Sitka, and Yakutat. https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/bulletin/ib-20-45-notice-alaska-observer-requirements-partial-coverage-fleets-effective-june-28 Landings Report: AK Salmon Season Lags Behind Recent Years, Keta Harvest Picking Up SeafoodNews.com by Peggy Parker - June 30, 2020 Overall, Alaska’s salmon season continues to lag behind previous years, reports economist Garrett Evridge in his weekly report produced by the McDowell Group for the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute. Nearly six million salmon -- 5.8 million -- have been landed to date compared to nearly 14 million fish landed at the same point in 2018. With current data through Sunday, June 28, YTD sockeye landings are more than 70% lower than 2019 and the 5-year average. Bristol Bay landings have been slow with production down about 80% from 2019 — but ahead of 2015 and 2016. Some areas of PWS saw better sockeye fishing last week while Cook Inlet slowed against prior years. The AK Peninsula & Aleutian Islands region is about 50% behind 2019 and 80% lower than their 5-year average. On the plus side, pink landings are relatively strong due to harvest in the AK Peninsula & Aleutian Islands region. It is still early for the species; peak harvest typically occurs in late July and early August. Updated Chum (keta) salmon harvest is nearly 1.8 million, up by 200,000 fish since Saturday night. That number is still down approximately 36% from the same time in 2019 and 50% lower than the 5-year average. Although the PWS region overall is 44% behind 2019, seining in the area has been relatively strong. AK Peninsula & Aleutian Islands are 18% below last year but 10% ahead of the 5-year average. Kodiak is 85% ahead of 2019 and on par with the 5-year average. An estimated 30 million pounds of salmon have been harvested so far in 2020. Anecdotal reports indicate average size of sockeye and pink are down in Bristol Bay and AK Peninsula & Aleutian Islands. https://www.seafoodnews.com/Story/1174869/Landings-Report-AK-Salmon-Season-Lags-Behind-Recent-Years-Keta-Harvest-Picking-Up International Worldwide Slowdown in Fishing Unlikely to Save Rare Species NY Times by Associated Press - June 29, 2020 PORTLAND, Maine — Commercial fishing taking place worldwide has dipped since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, but scientists and conservation experts say it's unclear if the slowdown will help endangered species of marine life recover. https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2020/06/29/business/bc-us-virus-outbreak-fishing-slowdown.html?searchResultPosition=10
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