Alaska
Humpy harvest pushes Prince William Sound catch to 39.8M
Cordova Times by Margaret Bauman - August 12, 2021
Purse seine fishing for pink salmon continues in earnest in Prince William Sound, with the humpy catch alone through Wednesday, Aug. 11 reaching nearly 36 million fish and an overall commercial salmon harvest at 39.8 million fish.
https://www.thecordovatimes.com/2021/08/12/humpy-harvest-pushes-prince-william-sound-catch-to-39-8m/
Alaska Fisheries Report August 12, 2021
KMXT - August 12, 2021
On this week’s Alaska Fisheries Report with Terry Haines: Sabine Poux of KDLL on Alaska Wild Salmon Day, KDLG’s Stephanie Maltarich digs into the Bay’s Big Run, and Arron Kallenberg talks about Quality at Scale
https://kmxt.org/2021/08/alaska-fisheries-report-august-12-2021/
Record Salmon in One Place. Barely Any in Another. Alarm All Around.
Historically low runs on the Yukon River have devastating impacts for Alaskans relying on the fish for sustenance and tradition, but Bristol Bay is seeing more sockeye than ever before.
New York Times by Victoria Petersen - August 12, 2021
This summer, fishers in the world’s largest wild salmon habitat pulled a record-breaking 65 million sockeye salmon from Alaska’s Bristol Bay, beating the 2018 record by more than three million fish.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/12/dining/wild-alaskan-salmon.html
International
NOAA Report: Agency Takes Strong Stand Against IUU Fishing, Some Fishing Practices
SeafoodNews.com by Susan Chambers - August 13, 2021
When it comes to fishing practices, the U.S. holds itself as an example of sustainable fishing practices.
By comparison, 31 other nations and entities are identified as participating in illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing activities and bycatch of protected species on the high seas, NOAA Fisheries said in its 2021 Biennial Report to Congress on Improving International Fisheries Management released this week.
NOAA also negatively certifies Mexico for continued IUU fishing activities, meaning Mexican fishing vessels will be denied entry into U.S. ports and Mexico could face import restrictions on fish and fish products, the agency said in a press release.
IUU fishing is a serious global problem that threatens ocean ecosystems and sustainable fisheries that are critical to global food and economic security – putting law-abiding fishermen and seafood producers in the United States and abroad at a disadvantage. Bycatch can hurt conservation of protected marine life. Nations that do not have regulatory programs to effectively reduce or mitigate bycatch threaten the sustainability of shared ecosystems and living marine resources, NOAA said.
Today’s report, and the underlying identification and consultation process, is one of several tools NOAA deploys to deter and prevent IUU fishing and support effective international marine conservation.
“As one of the largest importers of seafood in the world, the United States has a global responsibility and an economic duty to ensure that the fish and fish products we import are caught sustainably and legally,” Janet Coit, assistant administrator for NOAA Fisheries, and acting assistant secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and deputy NOAA administrator, said in the statement. “IUU fishing undermines U.S. fishermen who operate under the strongest fishery management practices and conservation laws, and NOAA will use every tool to make sure all nations follow the same rules.”
The report contains several key findings, according to NOAA Fisheries:
China, Costa Rica, Guyana, Mexico, the Russian Federation, Senegal, and Taiwan are identified for having vessels engaged in IUU fishing activities during 2018-2020;
Algeria, Barbados, China, Côte d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, European Union, France, Greece, Grenada, Guyana, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malta, Mauritania, Mexico, Morocco, Namibia, Portugal, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Senegal, South Africa, Spain, Taiwan, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, and Turkey are identified for lacking a regulatory program comparable in effectiveness to the United States to reduce the bycatch of protected marine life in their fishing operations; and
Some nations or entities were identified for both IUU fishing and bycatch activities.
The 2021 Report also announced certification determinations for nations identified for IUU fishing activities in the previous report, following a two-year consultation period where NOAA works with each nation to encourage corrective action. Mexico received a negative certification for IUU fishing activities identified in 2019, which were failing to curb the flow of small vessels fishing illegally in the U.S. waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Failure to remedy these incursions into U.S. waters led to Mexico’s negative certification.
In contrast, Ecuador and the Republic of Korea received positive certification determinations. They took actions to remedy the IUU fishing activities for which they were identified in 2019.
“We are encouraged by the positive steps certain nations took to address the identified IUU fishing practices,” Alexa Cole, acting deputy assistant secretary for international fisheries, and director of NOAA Fisheries Office of International Affairs and Seafood Inspection, said in the statement. “NOAA is committed to working with each of the 31 nations and entities identified in this year’s report to strengthen their fisheries management and enforcement practices.”
The report illustrates key ways NOAA improves international fisheries management, by:
developing law enforcement capacity and best practices to combat IUU fishing;
supporting the effective management of protected species and shark catch on the high seas; and
ensuring a fair market for the U.S. fishing industry.
The National Fisheries Institute welcomed the report.
"Enforcement of rules that deny dubious actors entry to U.S. ports and institute import restrictions are key to successfully rooting out IUU," NFI President John Connelly said in a statement. "At the same time, the report lauds countries like Ecuador and Korea for redoubling their efforts to stop IUU fishing in their
waters.
"NOAA Fisheries’ commitment to cracking down on IUU is on display in this report and should be applauded," Connelly added.
The full report can be found here.
Federal Register
Permanent Advisory Committee To Advise the U.S. Commissioners to the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission; Meeting Announcement
A Notice by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on 08/13/2021
NMFS announces a public meeting of the Permanent Advisory Committee (PAC) to advise the U.S. Commissioners to the Commission for the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPFC) on October 13-15, 2021. Meeting topics are provided under the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this notice.
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/08/13/2021-17356/permanent-advisory-committee-to-advise-the-us-commissioners-to-the-western-and-central-pacific
FYI’s
Friday the 13th -- Superstitions at Sea
Seafood News by Laine Welch - August 13, 2021
A life of danger and uncertainty has seafarers observing a strict set of rules steeped in myth and superstition.
Many sea going beliefs are based on the Bible, for example, Friday is the worst day to set out to sea.
Most sources credit that to the belief that Christ was crucified on a Friday.
Similarly, Sunday is the best day to begin a voyage, because Christ’s resurrection on that day is seen as a good omen. Thus the old adage, ‘Sunday sail, never fail.’
A traditional view for centuries was that women had no place at sea. They weren’t strong enough and men would be distracted from their duties, angering the seas and dooming a ship.
Lore has it, however, that a naked woman would calm the seas. That’s why many vessels have a bare breasted figurehead of a woman on the bow.
For hundreds of years bananas have been regarded as bad luck – reasons stem from causing ships to disappear to spider bites.
Pouring wine on the deck will bring good luck on a long voyage- it’s a libation to the gods.
Dolphins swimming with a ship are a good omen, while sharks following is a sign of inevitable death.
Black cats are considered lucky – not so flowers which could be used for a funeral wreath.
It’s unlucky to kill an albatross or a gull at sea, as they host the souls of dead sailors.
And whistling on the bridge will whistle up a storm.
Cutting your hair or nails at sea is a no-no. And don’t ever step onto a boat with your left foot, or stir a pot or coil a line counter clockwise.
Finally, marine myth has it that sailors pierced their ears to improve their eyesight. A gold earring was both a charm against drowning and the price paid to Davy Jones to enter the next world if a sailor died at sea.
And no matter what you believe, have a safe Friday the 13th.
Fish Radio is also brought to you by OBI Seafoods, an Alaska corporation proudly supporting Alaska’s coastal communities and the Alaskans who depend on fishing for their livelihoods and culture. Visit www.obiseafood.com / In Kodiak, I’m Laine Welch.
https://www.seafoodnews.com/Story/1205592/Friday-the-13th-Superstitions-at-Sea
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