Friday, November 3, 2023

Alaska Assembly asks governor to declare east side set-net economic disaster KDLL by Riley Board - October 30, 2023 The Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly last week passed a resolution asking the governor to declare an economic disaster for set-netters who fish the east side of Cook Inlet. https://www.kdll.org/local-news/2023-10-30/assembly-asks-governor-to-declare-east-side-set-net-economic-disaster Salmon runs in Alaska’s Kuskokwim River show some positive signs, but totals remain low Anchorage Daily News Yereth Rosen, Alaska Beacon - November 1, 2023 In Western Alaska’s Kuskokwim River, site of devastating salmon crashes and federal-state management disputes in recent years, fish returns showed some positive glimmers this year, according to preliminary summaries released by a tribal organization and by the state. https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/rural-alaska/2023/11/01/salmon-runs-in-alaskas-kuskokwim-river-show-some-positive-signs-but-totals-remain-low/ Alaska seafood harvesting jobs decline as fish crashes, pandemic and other factors take toll Alaska Beacon by Yereth Rosen - November 2, 2023 Alaska fish-harvesting employment declined in 2022, a continuing yearslong slide caused by a variety of factors, according to an analysis by the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development. https://alaskabeacon.com/briefs/alaska-seafood-harvesting-jobs-decline-as-fish-crashes-pandemic-and-other-factors-take-toll/ Groundfish Forum predicts wild-caught whitefish supplies will remain flat in 2024 Seafood Source by Chris Chase - November 3, 2023 The International Groundfish Forum, an organization representing the global groundfish sector, is predicting the global supply of wild-caught whitefish will remain flat in 2024 as some species see gains while others see big drops. https://www.seafoodsource.com/news/supply-trade/groundfish-forum-predicts-wild-caught-whitefish-supplies-remain-flat-in-2024 National How will seafood win back consumers? Buyers for McDonald's, Whole Foods, Target have some ideas Major buyers are weighing in on when retail and foodservice seafood sales might return to "normal." Intrafish by Rachel Sapin - November 2, 2023 Dismal US seafood sales over the last year have the industry on edge and feverishly searching for the key to reversing an inexplicable loss of consumer demand. https://www.intrafish.com/markets/how-will-seafood-win-back-consumers-buyers-for-mcdonalds-whole-foods-target-have-some-ideas/2-1-1547723 Federal Register Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone off Alaska; Scallop Specification Process Flexibility A Proposed Rule by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on 11/03/2023 The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) submitted Amendment 18 to the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for the Scallop Fishery off Alaska (Scallop FMP) to the Secretary of Commerce for review. If approved, Amendment 18 would revise timing requirements for Stock Assessment and Fishery Evaluation (SAFE) reports to allow more flexibility for non-annual assessments and to set scallop harvest specifications less frequently than on an annual basis. This would reduce the burden on staff and provide more time for the development of new stock assessment methods. Amendment 18 is intended to promote the goals and objectives of the Magnuson–Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act), the Scallop FMP, and other applicable laws. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/11/03/2023-24309/fisheries-of-the-exclusive-economic-zone-off-alaska-scallop-specification-process-flexibility FYI’s Alaska Symphony of Seafood: Showcasing the Best of Alaska at Pacific Marine Expo Fishermen's News by Carli Stewart - November 1, 2023 Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation presents Alaska Symphony of Seafood on the Main Stage at the Pacific Marine Expo 2023. Photo Courtesy of Britton Sparks @couchchronicles https://www.nationalfisherman.com/alaska-symphony-of-seafood-showcasing-the-best-of-alaska-at-pacific-marine-expo 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.