Alaska
Alaska seafood processing workers made more money in 2023, but there were fewer of them
Alaska Beacon by Yereth Rosen - November 21, 2024
Alaska seafood processors hired fewer people in 2023 but paid them more and relied more on nonresidents to fill the jobs, a state analysis shows.
Fish and Game says 2024 was a 'really bad year' for all salmon fishers across Kodiak Island
KMXT by Davis Hovey - November 20, 2024
Hundreds of commercial salmon fishermen around Kodiak Island opted not to fish this past summer. That’s according to data released by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game earlier this month on Nov. 5.
Alaska pollock production ends year with 'dramatic' shift toward fillet block
Block fillet production made major gains this year, even domestically.
Intrafish by Rachel Sapin - November 20, 2024
The Alaska pollock fishing year in the Bering Sea ended with a tremendous uptick in the production of pinbone-out (PBO) pollock fillet blocks and a sizeable dip in surimi production.
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Seafood Industry Urges Biden to Halt Marine Monument Expansions
Expana by Ryan Doyle - November 22, 2024
A group of 150-plus fishing and seafood industry associations, business and other stakeholders sent a letter addressed to President Joe Biden urging him to halt the creation or expansion of any Marine National Monuments in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) before he leaves office.In the letter, the seafood coalition warned against “potential negative impacts such actions could have on the fishing sector and highlights the significant contributions of U.S. fisheries to the economy, environment, and food security,” per a press release from Saving Seafood.“Prohibiting the sustainable utilization of our nation’s waters via unilateral presidential action will harm the Americans we represent, employ, and feed while failing to advance effective and durable marine conservation,” the letter states.The letter points to the Magnuson-Stevens Act (MSA) and the Regional Fishery Management Councils around the country that work on ocean conservation. The letter argues that the legislation and councils “offer the flexibility and stakeholder engagement necessary to address dynamic ocean management challenges, which are essential as ocean ecosystems undergo rapid changes.”Stakeholders shared concerns about the use of the Antiquities Act to create Marine National Monuments.“Marine National Monuments are created using static area-based protections and without the rigorous impact review required by the normal rulemaking process. They are a tool that will more often prove ill-suited to the dynamic ocean management challenges that lie ahead,” per the letter.The letter references a March 2021 statement from Chief Justice John Roberts, which raised concerns about the Antiquities Act:“A statute permitting the President in his sole discretion to designate as monuments ‘landmarks,’ ‘structures,’ and ‘objects’—along with the smallest area of land compatible with their management—has been transformed into a power without any discernible limit to set aside vast and amorphous expanses of terrain above and below the sea. … The scope of the objects that can be designated under the Act, and how to measure the area necessary for their proper care and management, may warrant consideration [by the Supreme Court]—especially given the myriad restrictions on public use this purely discretionary designation can serve to justify.”The letter also highlights the economic importance of U.S. fisheries, which “generate $321 billion in sales, support nearly 2.3 million jobs, and are vital to countless American communities where alternative employment opportunities may be limited.” It continues, “the Magnuson-Stevens Act (MSA) requires U.S. fisheries to be managed to sustainable harvest rates and to achieve broader marine biodiversity goals.”“We believe that the negative impacts Antiquities Act designations threaten to coastal communities, fishery participants and U.S. seafood producers—together with the important concerns raised by Chief Justice Roberts—are compelling reasons to avoid any such designations during the remainder of your time in office,” the letter concluded.Find the full letter here. The letter includes a full list of signatories.
“A tariff is a tax” – Experts weigh in on the likely effects of Trump’s proposed tariffs
“Unfortunately, you’re not going to see this huge rush of production back to the United States. It’s just not possible.”
Seafood Source by Erin Spampinato - November 21, 2024
Donald Trump campaigned on a policy of aggressive tariffs intended to spur manufacturing in the United States and strengthen U.S.-based supply chains. Now that he’s been elected, some business groups are expressing concerns about how such changes would affect American industries.
Trump's Commerce Nomination Sparks Questions on NOAA and Tariff Agenda
Expana by Ryan Doyle - November 21, 2024
President-elect Donald Trump nominated Howard Lutnick as his Commerce Secretary. He will be tasked with leading a multitude of bureaus under the Department of Commerce, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).Lutnick is the CEO of financial services giant Cantor Fitzgerald and has worked as the co-chair of Trump’s transition team.In a statement posted to Trump’s Truth Social platform, he said that Lutnick “…will lead our Tariff and Trade agenda, with additional direct responsibility for the Office of the United States Trade Representative.”It is unclear what Lutnick’s stance is on U.S. fisheries and the seafood industry and what impact he will have on NOAA's operations currently. Many of his public comments thus far have focused on tariffs and the trade agenda.E&E News spoke with an anonymous NOAA official who said that Lutnick was a blank slate regarding the impact he would have on NOAA. This includes little information regarding his stance on the state of U.S. fisheries and other seafood-related topics like aquaculture and environmental regulations.“My guess is that no one will really know what he will do with NOAA,” the official told the publication.E&E News also sent an email to Tim Gallaudet, former acting NOAA administrator during Trump’s first term, saying that he was encouraged by the nomination. The publication explained that Gallaudet pushed NOAA’s “blue economy” strategy, which aimed to support coastal economies in the country.Lutnick has been quoted often regarding a September CNBC interview in which he called tariffs “an amazing tool for the president to use—we need to protect the American worker.”He also went on stage during Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally, saying that tariffs led to the most prosperous days for the U.S. during the early 1900s.“We had so much money that we had the greatest businessmen of America get together to try to figure out how to spend it,” said Lutnick, 63, who has been advocating for higher tariffs.Trump has proposed a 10% tariff on all U.S. imports, along with a 60% tariff on Chinese-made products, noted Reuters. According to Platts Commodity News, the Commerce Department played a key role in implementing tariffs during Trump's first term.As Expana’s 2024 U.S. Presidential Election whitepaper pointed out, the Biden administration has maintained most of Trump’s tariffs from the U.S.-China trade war in place. Trade war tariffs collected under the Biden administration totaled $144.3 billion through March 2024, compared to $89.1 billion collected under Trump.
Kelp vodka wins two awards at 2024 Alaska Symphony of Seafood
Seafood Source by Erin Spampinato - November 21, 2024
Ketchikan, Alaska, U.S.A.-based distillery Uncharted Alaska was among the big winners at this year’s Alaska Symphony of Seafood awards.
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