Friday, March 5, 2021

Alaska Alaska Fisheries Report Mar 04 2021 KMXT - March 4, 2021 On This Week’s Alaska Fisheries Report with Terry Haines: Watershed Monitoring Program is a Wrap, DNA Evidence Used to Track Belugas, The Deadliest Virus, Fishing for History https://kmxt.org/2021/03/alaska-fisheries-report-mar-04-2021/ West Coast West Coast Seafood Processors 'Cautiously Hopeful' for the Remainder of 2021 Urner Barry by Ryan Doyle - March 4, 2021 The West Coast Seafood Processors Association (WCSPA) said seafood processors are hoping to see improvements in 2021 as the vaccination process rolls out nationwide and restaurants begin to reopen. Both fishermen and seafood processors are often the backbones of coastal communities, the WCSPA explained. The industries provide economic stability and generate thousands of local year-round jobs. On the west coast, fisheries including groundfish/rockfish, pink shrimp, Dungeness crab, salmon, albacore tuna and Pacific hake (whiting) are critical to keeping workers in processing facilities and maintaining critical infrastructure in many port communities. The Association pointed out that COVID-19 has taken a toll on the industries in these communities. “Last year was really tough for seafood processors who depend on restaurants and food service for their primary business model,” WCSPA Executive Director Lori Steele said of 2020. “Some processors closed temporarily or had to lay off many workers. Others had to consolidate or completely restructure their business plans to try to keep their doors open year-round.” The WCSPA shared recent data that found fresh seafood sales to restaurants make up 60 to 80 percent of a processor’s revenues. With restaurant closures and capacity restrictions directly impacting its members, membership still has cautious optimism heading into the rest of the year. “We anticipate demand for seafood to increase in 2021 as more vaccines are made available to the public and the country begins to re-open. However, this process will be slow. Supply chains will remain disrupted, and some markets will take years to fully recover,” Steele added. “Unfortunately for the seafood sector, the economic impacts of this pandemic will be experienced for quite some time still.” The Association highlighted Federal Aid members and fishermen were able to obtain through the CARES Act passed last March. It noted that while funds have been slow to disperse to many companies in serious need of help, it was a “much-appreciated” boost during a tough year. “We’d like to thank the West Coast delegation for working to make this funding available for the seafood industry,” Steele said. “It is absolutely critical to help ensure the viability of the businesses that anchor West Coast ports and coastal communities.” https://www.seafoodnews.com/Story/1193468/West-Coast-Seafood-Processors-Cautiously-Hopeful-for-the-Remainder-of-2021 Port signs fishmeal processor to long-term lease The Astorian by Edward Stratton - March 3, 2021 The Port of Astoria Commission has agreed to a lease with Scoular at the Airport Industrial Park in Warrenton that could take the grain-and-feed trading company through 2061. https://www.dailyastorian.com/news/local/port-signs-fishmeal-processor-to-long-term-lease/article_ce5011bc-7c40-11eb-93ed-039e59e7514e.html National Gorton’s adapting itself to new seafood’s new retail reality Seafood Source by Christine Blank - March 3, 2021 Gorton’s Seafood is stepping up production and is embarking on a new marketing campaign to cement the significant sales growth it garnered through the COVID-19 pandemic. https://www.seafoodsource.com/news/foodservice-retail/gortons-adapting-itself-to-new-seafood-s-new-retail-reality Seafood processors, tourism get more money in stimulus package, in bid to reach Alaska Republican Sen. Murkowski Another change helps states with smaller populations such as Alaska Market Watch by Victor Reklaitis - March 4, 2021 As the Democratic-run Senate works toward passing a $1.9 trillion stimulus package by the weekend, last-minute changes to the COVID-19 aid bill include provisions that would help seafood processors, the tourism industry and states with lower populations such as Alaska. https://www.marketwatch.com/story/seafood-processors-tourism-get-more-money-in-stimulus-package-in-bid-to-reach-alaska-republican-sen-murkowski-11614896394 Environment/Science DNA data will improve coastal fisheries management PWS will be part of future water sampling in effort to learn more about and protect habitat Cordova Times by Margaret Bauman - March 4, 2021 Federal fisheries officials say a long-term environmental DNA research project will offer better understanding of nearshore habitats for fish and crab in Alaska and help support sustainable fisheries management. https://www.thecordovatimes.com/2021/03/04/dna-data-will-improve-coastal-fisheries-management/ USACE Agrees to Hear Appeal from Pebble on Denial of Critical Permit for Mine Fishermen's News - March 3, 2021 A Canadian mining company in pursuit of building and operating a copper, gold and molybdenum mine in Alaska’s Bristol Bay watershed has won the right to appeal a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers decision denying them a crucial permit. The Corps has agreed to let Northern Dynasty Minerals’ wholly owned subsidiary, the Pebble Limited Partnership in Anchorage, appeal its decision regarding a Clean Water Act 404 permit. The Corps issued a record of decision late last year saying that issuing that permit would not be in the public interest. http://fnonlinenews.blogspot.com/2021/03/usace-agrees-to-hear-appeal-from-pebble.html FYI’s Seawatch: IFQ permits go by mail only on request Pandemic work conditions prevented mass mailings of IFQ permits Homer News by Cristy Fry - March 4, 2021 For fishermen waiting to receive their halibut and sablefish Individual Fishing Quoata permits in the mail as usual, the National Marine Fisheries Service is no longer sending them out. Fishermen have to apply online to get their permits or specifically request they be sent by mail or email. https://www.homernews.com/news/seawatch-ifq-permits-go-by-mail-only-on-request/ Cafes, fish processors, mask makers awarded by chamber Cordova Times by Cathy Renfeldt - March 4, 2021 This year the Cordova Chamber of Commerce launched the “Come Back Better” campaign, focused on helping our local businesses embrace safety measures to protect us all and overcome the challenges which came during the 2020 pandemic year while finding ways to add equity to their business long-term. We reached out to the community of Cordova, our board, and our staff for nominations for the following awards, which were presented at our Annual Meeting, held virtually on Feb. 23. Business Excellence This award was given to two businesses (one “large” with 11-plus employees and one “small” with 10 or fewer employees) who demonstrated all-around excellence in business. We looked for consistency and excellence demonstrated in a multitude of areas including but not limited to: leadership, policy and strategy; partnerships and resources; processes, customer service; residents’ perception of the business; and public responsibility. The large business winner selected for this award was Trident Seafoods for their leadership and initiative to create plans for their Cordova facilities to open responsibly and on time for the fishing season. They took seriously the need to protect Cordova and other remote communities by separating their personnel, quarantining and testing. Their leadership in taking appropriate precautions for COVID-19 allowed them to stay operational and service Cordova’s fishing industry. Their willingness to share their plans with smaller operators opened the doors for Cordova’s processors to work together and ultimately helped our fishery remain open this summer. https://www.thecordovatimes.com/2021/03/04/cafes-fish-processors-mask-makers-awarded-by-chamber/

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. 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.