Alaska
Bristol Bay salmon processors forced to limit purchases as fishermen haul in record sockeye catches The bay has seen record daily catches over the past week as the season finally takes off. Intrafish by Rachel Sapin - July 10, 2020 Alaska sockeye salmon processors are putting limits on what they are able to buy from fishermen in Bristol Bay due to a surging harvest in recent days. https://www.intrafish.com/processing/bristol-bay-salmon-processors-forced-to-limit-purchases-as-fishermen-haul-in-record-sockeye-catches/2-1-841069?utm_source=emailsharing Norton Sound Commercial Fishing Season At Risk As ‘Very Poor’ Chum Run Continues KNOM by Davis Hovey - July 9, 2020 So far in the summer commercial salmon season, the chum harvest in the Norton Sound region has been well below average. The Alaska Department of Fish & Game is hoping more fish will show up, or else they’ll have to stop commercial fishing for chum salmon. https://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2020/07/09/norton-sound-commercial-fishing-season-at-risk-as-very-poor-chum-run-continues/ Pandemic’s effect on global seafood industry demand and pricing will be long-lasting, report says Anchorage Daily News by Laine Welch - July 7, 2020 The global seafood industry will experience lasting impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic, including reduced demand and pricing. That is the conclusion of the State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture report produced every two years by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the only report that tracks global fisheries and food trends. https://www.adn.com/business-economy/2020/07/07/pandemics-effect-on-global-seafood-industry-demand-and-pricing-will-be-long-lasting/ Seafood stimulus: Cash flow and connections for rising stars National Fisherman by Jessica Hathaway - July 9, 2020 From two corners of the seafood sector this week came new projects to encourage industry exploration and expansion. Bristol Seafood and the Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers each paved the way for new funding streams to promote the U.S. seafood sector's diversity and growth. https://www.nationalfisherman.com/national-international/seafood-stimulus-cash-flow-and-connections-for-rising-stars National Seafood Industry Sinking From Virus Fallout Pleads for Bailouts Bloomberg Law - July 9, 2020 $300 million in CARES Act relief isn’t enough, industry says Fisherman says he’s ‘leery to bet on’ timely government help Seafood processors and fishers struggling with falling prices and disappearing markets during the coronavirus pandemic are pushing for federal bailouts following a government directive to send aid to New England’s lobster industry. https://news.bloomberglaw.com/daily-labor-report/seafood-industry-sinking-from-virus-fallout-pleads-for-bailouts Environment/Science Near-Infrared Technology Identifies Fish Species from Otoliths An innovative use of near-infrared technology could provide essential information for sustainable fisheries management faster. NOAA Fisheries - July 6, 2020 Near-infrared analysis of otoliths differentiated 13 species from four large marine ecosystems around the United States. https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/near-infrared-technology-identifies-fish-species-otoliths Federal Register Pacific Halibut Fisheries; Catch Sharing Plan A Rule by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on 07/09/2020 NMFS issues this final rule to revise regulations for the commercial individual fishing quota (IFQ) Pacific halibut (halibut) fisheries for the 2020 IFQ fishing year. This final rule removes limits on the maximum amount of halibut IFQ that may be harvested by a vessel, commonly known as vessel use caps, in IFQ regulatory areas 4B (Aleutian Islands), 4C (Central Bering Sea), and 4D (Eastern Bering Sea). This final rule is necessary because immediate action is needed to ensure allocations of halibut IFQ can be harvested by the limited number of vessels operating in these areas due to travel restrictions and health mandates. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/07/09/2020-14831/pacific-halibut-fisheries-catch-sharing-plan Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Sablefish in the Bering Sea Subarea of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area NOAA Fisheries - July 7, 2020 NMFS is prohibiting retention of non-Community Development Quota (CDQ) sablefish by vessels using trawl gear in the Bering Sea subarea of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). This action is necessary because the 2020 non-CDQ sablefish initial total allowable catch (ITAC) in the Bering Sea subarea of the BSAI will be reached. https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/action/fisheries-exclusive-economic-zone-alaska-sablefish-bering-sea-subarea-bering-sea-and Recommendations for a Comprehensive Interagency Seafood Trade Strategy A Notice by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on 07/10/2020 On May 7, 2020, the White House issued an Executive Order on Promoting American Seafood Competitiveness and Economic Growth. As part of this effort, the Department of Commerce and the United States Trade Representative (USTR) are co-chairing the Interagency Seafood Trade Task Force (Seafood Trade Task Force), which will develop recommendations to provide to USTR for the development of comprehensive interagency seafood trade strategy. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/07/10/2020-14938/recommendations-for-a-comprehensive-interagency-seafood-trade-strategy FYI’s Southern California commuter service, Float Shuttle, will buy core Ravn assets for $8 million Alaska Public Media by Nathaniel Herz - July 9, 2020 A Southern California commuter flight service, Float Shuttle, is set to take over the large planes and regional service once operated by RavnAir Group, which declared bankruptcy amid the COVID-19 pandemic. https://www.alaskapublic.org/2020/07/09/southern-california-commuter-service-float-shuttle-will-buy-core-ravn-assets/
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.