Friday, February 17, 2023

Alaska NMFS Opens Comment on Proposed BSAI Groundfish Management Plan Amendment Fishermen's News - February 15, 2023 The National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries) is seeking comment through March 13 on a proposed rule that would establish a program allocating Pacific cod harvest quota to a limited access group of harvesters and processors in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI). https://fishermensnews.com/nmfs-opens-comment-on-proposed-bsai-groundfish-management-plan-amendment/ International State of Alaska Donation of Canned Pink Salmon to Ukraine Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute - February 13, 2023 The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) is pleased to report that the generous donation of canned wild Alaska pink salmon from the State of Alaska has arrived in Ukraine for distribution to those in need displaced by the ongoing conflict with Russia. https://www.alaskaseafood.org/news/state-of-alaska-donation-of-canned-pink-salmon-to-ukraine/ Environment/Science New marine forecast zones coming to Alaska’s coastal waters KUCB by Maggie Nelson - February 15, 2023 The National Weather Service is reshaping its coastal waters across Alaska, adding new zones and more accurate forecasting. https://www.kucb.org/science-environment/2023-02-15/new-marine-forecast-zones-coming-to-alaskas-coastal-waters FYI’s President Biden Names Alaska Scientist Mike Sfraga as Ambassador at Large for Arctic Affairs SeafoodNews.com by Peggy Parker - February 15, 2023 On Monday, President Biden nominated Mike Sfraga, the Chair of the U.S. Arctic Research Commission, to be the first official Ambassador at Large for Arctic Affairs. He will go through Senate confirmation, unlike previous appointees who filed a similar, but not official, position. The first was Admiral Robert Papp who served as the State Department’s special representative to the Arctic during the Obama administration, according to a report by the Alaska Beacon yesterday. That was in 2014, during the years in which the U.S. chaired the eight-nation Arctic Council. The post was left vacant during the Trump administration until 2020, when Jim DeHart was named. DeHart, a career diplomat, left the State Department for a position in academia last year. Sfraga’s confirmation will be bolstered by strong support from Alaska senator Lisa Murkowski. For the Alaska Republican and her colleague on the Senate’s Arctic Caucus, independent Sen. Angus King of Maine, having an ambassador devoted to Arctic issues was a high priority, reported the Beacon. “I’m very pleased to see Dr. Mike Sfraga nominated to serve as Ambassador-at-Large for the Arctic Region. This places the U.S. one step closer to having dedicated, high-level diplomatic representation in the Arctic, which will allow us to advance a range of U.S. policy priorities at a crucial time,” Murkowski said in a statement released on Monday. “I’ve been privileged to work closely with Mike for many years, and he is a true Arctic expert. While many Ambassadors learn on the job, that certainly won’t be the case with Dr. Sfraga. His experience is unmatched—serving as Chair of the U.S. Arctic Research Commission, Founding Director of the Polar Institute at the Wilson Center, and as an affiliate professor at the International Arctic Research Center at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, among other positions. I will urge my Senate colleagues to move quickly to advance and confirm his nomination,” she said. Sfraga was the founding director of the Polar Institute and concurrently served as Director of the Global Risk and Resilience Program at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, D.C. An Alaskan and a geographer by training, Sfraga’s work focuses on the changing geography of the Arctic and Antarctic landscapes, Arctic policy, and the impacts and implications of a changing climate on political, social, economic, environmental, and security regimes in the Arctic. Sfraga served as distinguished Co-lead Scholar for the U.S. Department of State’s inaugural Fulbright Arctic Initiative from 2015 to 2019, a complementary program to the U.S. Chairmanship of the Arctic Council. He served as Chair of the 2020 Committee of Visitors Review of the Section for Arctic Science, Office of Polar Programs, National Science Foundation, and he currently serves on the Scientific Advisory Council of the Finnish Institute for International Affairs. Sfraga previously served in several academic, administrative, and executive positions at the University of Alaska including Vice Chancellor, Associate Vice President, faculty member, Department Chair, and Associate Dean. He earned the first Ph.D. in Geography and Northern Studies from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. https://www.seafoodnews.com/Story/1246231/President-Biden-Names-Alaska-Scientist-Mike-Sfraga-as-Ambassador-at-Large-for-Arctic-Affairs 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. 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