Friday, July 15, 2022

Alaska Tax Credit Program Extended for Seafood Processors Fishermen's News - July 13, 2022 Legislation signed into law in early July extends the sunset date for an Alaska tax credit program for seafood processors that bring value-added product to market. https://fishermensnews.com/tax-credit-program-extended-for-seafood-processors/ Chum fishing will remain closed on the Yukon amid projections for another low fall run KYUK by Anna Rose MacArthur - July 14, 2022 Fall chum are expected to begin entering the Yukon River soon, and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game is projecting another low run for the species after 2021’s record low return. To conserve the salmon, government fishery managers will keep fishing for fall chum closed unless an unexpected surge of the species arrive. https://alaskapublic.org/2022/07/14/chum-fishing-will-remain-closed-on-the-yukon-amid-projections-for-another-low-fall-run/ Harvest Mounts for Alaska’s Norton Sound King Crab Summer Fishery Fishermen's News - July 13, 2022 Harvests are mounting for Norton Sound king crab summary fishery, with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game forecasting that entire guidelines harvest level of 308,623 pounds expected to be harvested this week. https://fishermensnews.com/harvest-mounts-for-alaskas-norton-sound-king-crab-summer-fishery/ Environment/Science New study details mining’s impacts on salmon habitat, even hundreds of miles downstream KSTK by Sage Smiley - July 14, 2022 A new study shows that mines can have impacts on watersheds hundreds of miles downstream and years into the future. The paper’s authors say their analysis points to a need for more comprehensive risk consideration for mines to protect salmon watersheds throughout the Northwest. https://www.ktoo.org/2022/07/14/new-study-details-minings-impacts-on-salmon-habitat-even-hundreds-of-miles-downstream/ Federal Register Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone off Alaska; Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Crab Rationalization Program; C Shares A Rule by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on 07/15/2022 NMFS issues an emergency rule to temporarily suspend the active participation requirement for captains and crew holding crew quota or C shares under the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Crab Rationalization Program (CR Program). This emergency action temporarily suspends the requirement to withhold Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) and revoke quota share (QS) from individuals who do not meet active participation requirements for the 2022/2023 crab fishing year. This emergency rule is intended to provide flexibility to C share holders in the 2022/2023 crab fishing year. This emergency rule does not modify other provisions of the CR Program. This emergency rule is intended to promote the goals and objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the Fishery Management Plan for Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands King and Tanner Crabs, and other applicable laws. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/07/15/2022-15193/fisheries-of-the-exclusive-economic-zone-off-alaska-bering-sea-and-aleutian-islands-crab FYI’s Historic Sailboat begins voyage to Naknek KDLG by Brian Venua - July 7, 2022 For more than 60 years, sailboats dominated Bristol Bay’s commercial fishery. Motorized vessels were illegal. Then, in 1951, the federal government finally allowed motorized fishing vessels in Bristol Bay. https://www.kdlg.org/fisheries/2022-07-07/historic-sailboat-begins-voyage-to-naknek Fighting invasive crabs — with whiskey NPR by Kai McNamee, Justine Kenin - July 7, 2022 JUANA SUMMERS, HOST: It's small. It's green. It's a crustacean. And now it's in whiskey. WILL ROBINSON: People are going to hear crab whiskey, and I'd venture to say three-quarters of them are going to go, no, absolutely not. But then when you actually - if you can get them to taste it, they totally change their tune for the most part. https://www.kdlg.org/2022-07-07/fighting-invasive-crabs-with-whiskey Cordova’s Senior Salmon Day Donations Surpass Expectations, School Lunch Program Next SeafoodNews.com by Peggy Parker - July 16, 2022 For the 23rd year in a row, “The World’s Best Salmon” was caught, processed, packaged, and given away to local senior citizens in Cordova, Alaska. Many of the happy recipients fished local waters commercially, or put up home packs when they were younger. All are familiar with the taste, preparation, and nutritional qualities of salmon from the Copper River and from Prince William Sound. Generosity runs deep in this remote fishing community, home port to 550 independent fisherman, who fish for Chinook, sockeye, coho, keta or chum, and pink salmon. Hosted by Cordova District Fishermen United, Senior Salmon Day is woven into the town's tradition, celebrating the sustainable fishery and the local community. Donation day is announced a few weeks before it happens, while fishermen, tender vessels (who bring the salmon from the fishing grounds to town), and processors sign up to be part of the event. Prior to Covid, donations were accepted only on one designated day and the fish was filleted fresh on Main Street and handed off to seniors. In 2020, the logistics shifted to extend donation days and fillet and flash freeze (thanks to the generosity of local processing facilities) the fish prior to the day of the event. This year’s Senior Salmon Day was held on July 6th. ”The feeling of this year's Senior Salmon Day was abundance and gratefulness all around,” said Jess Rude, CDFU's Executive Director. “We were back together on Main Street and distributed more than 450 sockeye fillets, two fillets per elder,” Rude reported. Since Covid, Cordova’s fleet have donated more fish than ever. "Generosity of the fleet is up more than 50% of years past, perhaps because of a mix of neighborliness in harder times, thoughts on food security, or a fisherman's personal thoughts and reflections on inaccessibility to a local resource with market rates so high,” noted Rude. “We're thrilled to be able to showcase the generosity of the fleet, and the ways we all continue to lean in and share a coveted resource." When Cordova's seniors were asked how they would use the fillets, they shared family favorites and classic ways to prepare the region’s salmon: a barbecue with friends; pan frying it for dinner with a creamy lemon butter sauce; cooking it with a marinade of orange juice, soy sauce, spices; and putting it into their backyard smokehouse for a cold smoke before preserving. This communal generosity will continue this summer when CDFU and the Copper River Watershed organize donations for the Fish to School Donation event. Prince William sockeye and pink salmon will be the starring fish at this event and the salmon will be filleted and flash frozen at the processing facilities. The ultimate destination will be student lunch trays at the Cordova School District this fall. Five processing companies, nine fishing tenders, and 72 fishermen donated product and labor to make this year's Senior Salmon Day a success. Copper River/Prince William Sound Marketing Association (CRPWSMA), a fishermen funded regional seafood development association, worked with CDFU for Senior Salmon Day. The group represents the 500+ commercial salmon fishermen of coastal South-Central Alaska to build brand awareness and consumer preference for wild Copper River king, sockeye and coho as well as Prince William Sound sockeye, keta, and pink salmon. https://www.seafoodnews.com/Story/1230308/Cordovas-Senior-Salmon-Day-Donations-Surpass-Expectations-School-Lunch-Program-Next 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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