Friday, March 27, 2026
- Mar 27
- 3 min read
Alaska
Board of Fisheries overhauls commercial drift fleet management plan
KDLL by Ashlyn O'Hara - March 25, 2026
Upper Cook Inlet’s commercial driftnet fishing fleet has a new rulebook for the salmon fishing season that starts in July. on the Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s website.
International
GDST prepares launch of ‘Standard 2.0’ as EU’s traceability drive forces industry’s hand
'It’s relevant to anybody, whether you buy or sell. So a date code, a lot identifier; irrespective of whether you’re buying seafood, beef, leather, timber, soy or palm, you’ll need those basic things' -- Huw Thomas, GDST
Undercurrent News by Dan Gibson - March 26, 2026
The Global Dialogue for Seafood Traceability (GDST) team made its presence felt at the recent Seafood Expo North America as it begins the consultation period for the second edition of its technology standard, designed to make sure that commercial information on seafood is recorded in the same, systematic way across the world...
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Umios, Fujitsu Launch Consumer-Facing Seafood Traceability System to Combat IUU Fishing
SeafoodNews by Ryan Doyle - March 26, 2026
Japanese seafood company Umios has completed an electronic traceability pilot program designed to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing within its supply chain.
Umios partnered with Fujitsu on a pilot program that began on February 1, 2026, and focused on bluefin tuna farmed by the Umios Group in Wakayama Prefecture. The system established a mechanism for consumers to check distribution information from farm to retail stores via smartphone, according to a March 24 Fujitsu announcement.
The pilot was deemed successful, and both companies plan to expand the system to additional fish species handled by Umios next year. The technology aims to demonstrate that Umios avoids IUU fishing throughout its procurement and distribution processes.
The system provides real-time verification that seafood products are unrelated to IUU fishing, supporting transparency from source to consumer. Consumers can access detailed tracking information by scanning products with their smartphones.
The Umios Group has positioned "Action for preserving biodiversity and ecosystem" as a key component of its sustainability strategy under its medium-term management plan, "For the ocean, for life 2027."
The company said it is working to establish electronic traceability systems that can quickly and reliably verify the legal sourcing of its seafood products.
The initiative reflects growing industry focus on supply chain transparency and consumer demand for sustainably sourced seafood. Electronic traceability systems are increasingly viewed as essential tools for combating IUU fishing, which undermines both conservation efforts and legitimate fishing operations.
Environment/Science
Former Alaskan fisherman develops mobile app, combining love for software development with aggregating fishing data in Bristol Bay
Seafood Source by Haley Jones - March 26, 2026
Mica Linscheid was born and raised in Kodiak, Alaska, U.S.A., and watched his career schoolteacher parents participate in the Bristol Bay commercial fishery each summer.
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Warmer waters boost appetite of invasive pike for salmon
National Fisherman by Margaret Bauman - March 26, 2026
Rising temperatures in the waters of Southcentral Alaska's Deshka River have boosted the appetites of invasive northern pike, to the peril of Chinook and coho salmon and other fish species.
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Federal Register
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 03/26/2026
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 at 1200 hours, Alaska local time (A.l.t.), March 26, 2026, and will close at 1200 hours, A.l.t., December 7, 2026. These dates are the same as the 2026 commercial halibut fishery dates adopted by the International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC), except the hours are not the same. The IFQ and CDQ halibut season dates are specified by a separate publication in the Federal Register of annual management measures, which should be referenced for the halibut-specific opening and closure times.
FYI’s
Fishers Ask the Young To Sign Up for Training
Daily Sitka Sentinel by staff - March 25, 2026
Applications are open through March 31 for the Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association Crew Training Program, which pairs young people with commercial fishing skippers who are eager to teach new crew members.
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