Friday, March 10, 2023

Alaska State issues bycatch regulations for eastern Gulf of Alaska 2023 halibut fishery Cordova Times - March 10, 2023 State fisheries biologists have issued 2023 groundfish bycatch regulations for the federal halibut fishery in the eastern Gulf of Alaska, with a requirement for retaining and landing rockfish, as well as reporting all groundfish taken for bait. https://www.thecordovatimes.com/2023/03/10/state-issues-bycatch-regulations-for-eastern-gulf-of-alaska-2023-halibut-fishery/ Strong Harvest Means Incredible Deals For Wild Sockeye Salmon Nationwide Grocery Stores are Swimming in Wild Sockeye Salmon from Bristol Bay, Alaska, which is Great News for Shoppers PR Newswire - Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association - March 9, 2023 BRISTOL BAY, Alaska, March 9, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- As consumers continue to look for budget friendly deals on groceries and restaurant meals, there's one protein source whose price is staying steady, thanks to a surplus from last year's harvest season. The 2022 harvest from Bristol Bay, Alaska – the source of more than half the world's sustainable, wild sockeye salmon – was 46% higher than its previous five-year average, bringing in a haul of more than 60 million fish. This means the average price per pound of wild sockeye salmon on sale at grocery stores is down 7% since early 2022, compared to an increase of 12% for farmed Atlantic salmon fillets.1 So, now is a great time for shoppers to find red-hot deals on the delicious, omega-3 rich sockeye salmon at retailers around the country. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/strong-harvest-means-incredible-deals-for-wild-sockeye-salmon-nationwide-301766149.html Environment/Science A month after the EPA’s decision against Pebble, public comment is open for another mining company to explore nearby KDLG by Izzy Ross - March 8, 2023 The Alaska Department of Natural Resources announced last week that Stuy Mines has applied for a hardrock exploration permit along Kaskanak Creek, southwest of the Pebble deposit. https://www.kdlg.org/news/2023-03-08/a-month-after-the-epas-decision-against-pebble-public-comment-is-open-for-another-mining-company-to-explore-nearby Unsettled Pacific Ocean Offers Surprises as Climate Change Alters Ecosystem New Ecosystem Status Report cites shakeup of familiar ecological relationships. NOAA Fisheries - March 6, 2023 Ecological relationships across the Pacific Coast that once guided annual expectations such as salmon returns are evolving as climate change disrupts long-standing connections. NOAA Fisheries researchers report these findings in their latest Ecosystem Status Report for the California Current Ecosystem. https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/unsettled-pacific-ocean-offers-surprises-climate-change-alters-ecosystem Federal Register Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Cod by Catcher Vessels Using Trawl Gear in the Western Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska A Rule by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on 03/08/2023 NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific cod by catcher vessels using trawl gear in the Western Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the A season allowance of the 2023 total allowable catch of Pacific cod by catcher vessels using trawl gear in the Western Regulatory Area of the GOA. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/03/08/2023-04728/fisheries-of-the-exclusive-economic-zone-off-alaska-pacific-cod-by-catcher-vessels-using-trawl-gear North Pacific Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting A Notice by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on 03/10/2023 The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) Pacific Northwest Crab Industry Advisory Committee (PNCIAC) will meet March 29, 2023. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/03/10/2023-04945/north-pacific-fishery-management-council-public-meeting Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands; Final 2023 and 2024 Harvest Specifications for Groundfish A Rule by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on 03/10/2023 NMFS announces final 2023 and 2024 harvest specifications, apportionments, and prohibited species catch allowances for the groundfish fishery of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). This action is necessary to establish harvest limits for groundfish during the remainder of the 2023 and the start of the 2024 fishing years and to accomplish the goals and objectives of the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (FMP). The 2023 harvest specifications supersede those previously set in the final 2022 and 2023 harvest specifications, and the 2024 harvest specifications will be superseded in early 2024 when the final 2024 and 2025 harvest specifications are published. The intended effect of this action is to conserve and manage the groundfish resources in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (BSAI) in accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act; MSA). https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/03/10/2023-04877/fisheries-of-the-exclusive-economic-zone-off-alaska-bering-sea-and-aleutian-islands-final-2023-and Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Sablefish Managed Under the Individual Fishing Quota Program A Rule by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on 03/09/2023 NMFS is opening directed fishing for sablefish with fixed gear managed under the Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) Program and the Community Development Quota (CDQ) Program. The season will open 1200 hours, Alaska local time (A.l.t.), March 10, 2023, and will close 1200 hours, A.l.t., December 7, 2023. This period is the same as the 2023 commercial halibut fishery opening dates adopted by the International Pacific Halibut Commission. The IFQ and CDQ halibut season is specified by a separate publication in the Federal Register of annual management measures. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/03/09/2023-04926/fisheries-of-the-exclusive-economic-zone-off-alaska-sablefish-managed-under-the-individual-fishing FYI’s NPFMC Posts Online April Meeting eAgenda, Schedule, Documents for Review Fishermen's News - March 8, 2023 Final action on an amended fishery management plan for Cook Inlet salmon is on the agenda when the North Pacific Fishery Management Council meets at the Hilton Hotel in Anchorage April 6-11. https://fishermensnews.com/npfmc-posts-online-april-meeting-eagenda-schedule-documents-for-review/ 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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