Friday, August 30, 2024

Alaska U.S. House candidates to debate AK fisheries National Fisherman - August 30, 2024 The Kodiak Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce that on Tuesday, October 8th,  at 7 p.m., candidates for Alaska’s U.S. House of Representatives will come together to debate Alaska fisheries at the Gerald C. Wilson Auditorium in Kodiak, AK. For over 30 years, fisheries issues have been the focus of candidate debates held in Kodiak. Alaska’s seafood industry plays a critical role in the state’s economy. It directly employs more than 48,000 workers annually and contributes $6 billion to the… https://www.nationalfisherman.com/u-s-house-candidates-to-debate-ak-fisherieshttps://www.nationalfisherman.com/u-s-house-candidates-to-debate-ak-fisheries *Requires Subscription It's a seller's market for Alaska sockeye salmon following dramatic inventory shortfall Coming off two years where processors had trouble offloading bloated inventories, buyers now have to compete for product. Intrafish by Rachel Sapin - August 29, 2024 The market for Alaska sockeye salmon is dramatically different than it was a year ago. This year, extremely low inventories and smaller fish, especially from the state's Bristol Bay region, have sparked a frenzy for the product. https://www.intrafish.com/salmon/its-a-sellers-market-for-alaska-sockeye-salmon-following-dramatic-inventory-shortfall/2-1-1700232 *Requires Subscription National US lawmakers push to improve distribution of fishery disaster aid Seafood Source by Nathan Strout - August 28, 2024 U.S. federal legislators are coalescing around a bill to streamline the government’s process for doling out financial relief related to fishery disasters. https://www.seafoodsource.com/news/business-finance/us-lawmakers-push-to-improve-distribution-of-fishery-disaster-aid USDA Shares Purchase Award Funding for Section 32 Pacific Seafood Products Seafood News - August 30, 2024 Back in July, it was announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) approved a $22 million seafood purchase for Pacific Northwest and West Coast seafood products, with a focus on Pacific rockfish and Pacific whiting.The awards were announced on August 29 and the products, frozen Pacific rockfish and frozen Pacific whiting fillets, were purchased in support of Child Nutrition and other related Domestic Food Distribution Programs. In total, 121,500 cases of seafood were purchased for roughly $17.3 million. Bornstein Seafood received a purchase price of just over $2.9 million, and Dulcich Inc. landed over $9.3 million. Ocean Gold Seafoods got a purchase price of a touch over $5 million. In July, the West Coast Seafood Processors Association (WCSPA) released a press release sharing the significant news for its members.“The USDA partnership with West Coast seafood producers has already helped mitigate these and similar impacts while supplying American families with locally sourced, domestically produced, highly nutritious proteins,” WCSPA Executive Director Lori Steele said. “Continuing this partnership in 2024 will maintain this trend,” she said, noting this purchase benefits the USDA, the domestic seafood industry, and the public.The group said that both fishermen and processors along the West Coast faced numerous challenges since 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic. Competition from cheaper imported protein, long-term impacts from restaurants and global trade disruptions, just to name a few have made business more difficult in recent years.“Current global and domestic seafood markets are in disarray; USDA’s commitment to purchasing rockfish and whiting from the West Coast will help keep our fishermen on the water, our processors can retain employees and our communities thriving,” Midwater Trawlers Cooperative Executive Director Heather Mann said. “Seafood from the West Coast is a healthy, sustainable protein for all Americans and the USDA has recognized seafood as critical components to healthy development in children.”WCSPA highlighted the importance of USDA Section 32 purchases last month as well:“The USDA Section 32 purchases support domestic fisheries and coastal communities, promote public health through access to nutrient-dense, sustainable protein sources, and align with consumer preferences for transparency, traceability, and environmentally responsible practices. USDA is helping revitalize domestic fisheries and promote nutritional excellence, both of which contribute to the overall sustainability of the Nation's food supply chain, ensuring a brighter future for generations to come.”Find the complete Purchase Award Description here. https://www.seafoodnews.com/Story/1284541/USDA-Shares-Purchase-Award-Funding-for-Section-32-Pacific-Seafood-Products International Alaskan lawmakers call on Biden to protect US salmon from toxic Canadian mining waste Seafood Source by Nathan Strout - August 27, 2024 Alaskan politicians want U.S. President Joe Biden to take “unified action” to protect Alaskan communities, rivers, and salmon populations from Canadian mining activities following a major mining failure that occurred earlier this summer. https://www.seafoodsource.com/news/environment-sustainability/alaskan-lawmakers-call-on-biden-to-protect-us-salmon-from-canadian-mining Japan: 2023 Frozen Salmon and Trout Roe Imports up 20% Each from the US and Russia SeafoodNews.com by Tom Asakawa - August 29, 2024 According to trade statistics from the Ministry of Finance, imports of frozen fish roe (excluding herring roe and pollock roe), which are believed to be mainly salmon and trout roe, in 2023 increased by 20% from the previous year to 17,758 tons. This is the second largest since records began in 1988, after 2021. The average import price (CIF) was 2,107 yen/kg ($14.58/kg), down 36%. Minato Shimbun reported that frozen salmon and trout roe are used as ingredients for seasoned salmon roe and other products processed in Japan.The United States and Russia account for 90% of Japanese imports. The United States had the most significant volume at 9,996 tons, up 6% from the previous year, followed by Russia, which increased 52% to 5,916 tons. Compared to 2021, the United States increased by 20%, and Russia decreased by 33%.Pink salmon roe, mainly imported from Russia, tends to have good and bad catches every other year. 2022 was a poor year with small catches, while 2023 was good. The average import price fell 27% to 2,882 yen/kg ($19.95/kg).This year is a poor catch year. According to the All-Russian Institute of Marine Fisheries (Buniro), the landings off the Far East coast this year was 131,272 tons, up 11.8% from the same period in 2022, as of August 19. The final landing volume is expected to be 192,858 tons. However, this is a 60% decrease from last year's landings.The total import volume of frozen salmon and trout roe from January to June 2024 was 4,665 tons, up 57% from last year. In particular, Russia tripled to 2,164 tons. However, this is a 24% decrease from the same period in 2022. In addition, the annual import volume tends to increase after August and September due to the new fish fishing season. https://www.seafoodnews.com/Story/1284383/Japan-2023-Frozen-Salmon-and-Trout-Roe-Imports-up-20-percent-Each-from-the-US-and-Russia Federal Register Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Blackspotted and Rougheye Rockfish in the Central Aleutian and Western Aleutian Districts of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area A Rule by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on 08/29/2024 NMFS is prohibiting retention of blackspotted and rougheye rockfish in the Central Aleutian and Western Aleutian districts (CAI/WAI) of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). This action is necessary because the 2024 blackspotted and rougheye rockfish total allowable catch (TAC) in the CAI/WAI of the BSAI has been reached. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/08/29/2024-19419/fisheries-of-the-exclusive-economic-zone-off-alaska-blackspotted-and-rougheye-rockfish-in-the Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; Fisheries Off West Coast States; Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery; Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan; Amendment 33; 2025-26 Biennial Specifications and Management Measures A Proposed Rule by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on 08/29/2024This proposed rule would establish the 2025-26 harvest specifications for groundfish caught in the U.S. exclusive economic zone (EEZ) seaward of Washington, Oregon, and California, consistent with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act or MSA) and the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan (PCGFMP). This proposed rule would also revise management measures intended to keep the total annual catch of each groundfish stock or stock complex within the annual catch limits. These proposed measures are intended to help prevent overfishing, rebuild overfished stocks, achieve optimum yield, and ensure that management measures are based on the best scientific information available. This proposed rule would also make minor corrections ( e.g. correcting grammar, removing outdated regulations, revisions for clarity) to the regulations. Additionally, this proposed rule announces the receipt of exempted fishing permit (EFP) applications. NMFS has made a preliminary determination that these applications warrant further consideration and is requesting public comment on these applications. This proposed rule also would implement amendment 33 to the PCGFMP, which would establish a rebuilding plan for California quillback rockfish and revise the allocation framework for shortspine thornyhead. In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended, NMFS also announces the availability of a draft Environmental Assessment (EA) that analyzes the potential effects of the associated proposed rule. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/08/29/2024-17651/magnuson-stevens-act-provisions-fisheries-off-west-coast-states-pacific-coast-groundfish-fishery International Fisheries; Western and Central Pacific Fisheries for Highly Migratory Species; Changes to Purse Seine Fish Aggregating Device Closure Periods A Rule by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on 08/29/2024Under authority of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Convention Implementation Act (WCPFC Implementation Act), NMFS issues this final rule to shorten the duration of fish aggregating device (FAD) closure periods for the U.S. purse seine fishery. This action is necessary to satisfy the obligations of the United States under the Convention on the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (Convention), to which it is a Contracting Party. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/08/29/2024-19196/international-fisheries-western-and-central-pacific-fisheries-for-highly-migratory-species-changes

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-Friday8:00 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.