Friday, September 29, 2023

Alaska Board of Fish proposals center on king salmon, east side setnet fishery Many proposals describe changes to the Kenai River Late-Run King Salmon Management Plan Peninsula Clarion by Jacob Dye - September 27, 2023 Proposals set to be considered by the State Board of Fisheries this winter were published last week. To be reviewed are 255 proposals, 186 of which target the Upper Cook Inlet area. Seeing the most attention are Kenai River late-run king salmon and the east side setnet fishery. https://www.peninsulaclarion.com/news/board-of-fish-proposals-center-on-king-salmon-east-side-setnet-fishery/ Federal manager for Yukon River highlights resiliency in the face of salmon crashes KYUK by Evan Erickson - September 27, 2023 When federal fisheries managers rescinded control of the Yukon River on Sept. 2, it marked the close of another season of alarmingly poor salmon runs and few opportunities to harvest them. Nets went unused and smokehouses went unfilled, yet subsistence remains a necessity and a way of life for many living along the nearly 2,000-mile river that extends deep into Canada. https://alaskapublic.org/2023/09/27/federal-manager-for-yukon-river-highlights-resiliency-in-the-face-of-salmon-crashes/ Rockfish GHL exceeded in Prince William Sound Cordova Times - September 27, 2023 State fisheries officials say that despite their management efforts commercial harvesters exceeded the Prince William Sound guideline harvest level (GHL) for rockfish during the 2023 season. https://www.thecordovatimes.com/2023/09/27/rockfish-ghl-exceeded-in-prince-william-sound/ Alaska pollock PBO production falls as producers hone in on premium format used by US fast-food chains Historically, deep-skinned fillets represented about 30 percent of total fillet production, but it will likely exceed 40 percent in 2023, data is showing. Intrafish by Rachel Sapin - September 28, 2023 Despite a significant increase in total allowable catch (TAC) compared to last year, Alaska pollock's production of pinbone-out (PBO) fillets will not reach last year's total, Ron Rogness, an economic consultant with US trade association Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers (GAPP), said at the trade association's annual meeting in Seattle Thursday. https://www.intrafish.com/whitefish/alaska-pollock-pbo-production-falls-as-producers-hone-in-on-premium-format-used-by-us-fast-food-chains/2-1-1526132 *Subscription Required National Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program The Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program (BREP) provides funding to those looking for creative solutions to fishery bycatch challenges. NOAA Fisheries - September 28, 2023 NOAA Fisheries announces the availability of about $2.3 million for collaborative bycatch reduction projects. We invite non-federal researchers working on the development of improved fishing practices and innovative gear technologies that reduce bycatch to apply and encourages applicants to include and demonstrate principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/bycatch/bycatch-reduction-engineering-program?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery Labeling and Marketing As Millennials Turn 40, ‘Provenance’ of Wild Alaska Pollock Matters Greatly Seafood News - Association of Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers (GAPP) - September 29, 2023 In a shocking statistic, the oldest millennial turned forty this year and shifting how we view this demographic will be critical to converting seafood-aware consumers to seafood-craving consumers, said data experts from Ketchum Analytics at the Wild Alaska Pollock Annual Meeting this morning in Seattle. During the fifth-ever meeting, hosted by the Association of Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers (GAPP), experts Mary Elizabeth Germaine and Lauren Hasse discussed how provenance, sustainability and affordability are key in targeting both millennials and the multicultural consumer and shared that, for the first time since the inception of the yearly consumer study Wild Alaska Pollock has surpassed Haddock in terms of familiarity. “Provenance is important to consumers. When we asked them what’s important to them in purchasing fish, over half say it’s [being] a product of the U.S. and a third say there motivated to buy knowing it’s a product of Alaska,” said Ketchum Chief Data and Strategy Officer Mary Elizabeth Germaine to the more than 200 annual meeting attendees. “That wild-caught aspect is also very important and has multiple meanings to consumers, all of which benefit Wild Alaska Pollock. Wild-caught is very much aligned with both sustainability and wild-caught is also aligned with provenance. We’re not only showing our consumers we’re sustainable but also that we’re from the U.S. and driving demand that way.” Data also indicates an incredibly strong preference by consumers for fish from the U.S. or Canada and a notable dislike of fish from Russia and China. Specifically, 87% of consumers are likely to purchase fish from the United States and data indicates consumers actively try and avoid purchasing fish from China and Russia specifically. “We see that when consumers learn their fish is purchased from Russia or China, they’re more likely to feel ‘confused, misled or annoyed,’” added Germaine. For millennial and multicultural consumers, sustainability remains key to capturing their hearts and minds. 69 percent of fish-eating consumers surveyed indicate that sustainability remains “very” or “somewhat” important, and that sustainability isn’t just about the generic term, but rather the components of sustainability like ocean health and future supply. “We saw an 8-percentage-point increase between 2021 and 2022 in fish eaters saying sustainability is important to their fish purchases,” said Director of Ketchum Analytics Lauren Hasses. “Sustainability is even more important to millennials. 82% say sustainability is important to them when they’re purchasing foods and they’re actively researching it. They are looking into the companies they’re buying from and if they’re not up to par, 15% say they are no longer purchasing.” As the oldest millennial turns forty this year, Germaine and Hasse also emphasized the need to rethink how we view millennial consumers and incorporate thinking around “parenthood” into marketing and messaging. “60% of that millennial audience is a parent, that is significantly higher than the general population. So, thinking about it from that parental mindset is going to be critical to reaching our consumer,” added Germaine. Affordability remains top of mind for fish-eaters and, in particular, millennial consumers, but there needs to be balance in the way affordability is referenced in marketing. There’s opportunity to lean into that ‘value story,’ but if you lean too far into affordability, you may sacrifice some attributes of taste and quality—so it’s all about finding the right balance,” explained Germaine. For Gen Z, the Wild Alaska Pollock must think about a generation prone to define themselves in higher volumes as ‘multicultural’. Both Hasse and Germaine emphasized that familiarity in both multicultural and millennial demographics remains high—about 50 percent say they are familiar with the fish—but now the opportunity for Wild Alaska Pollock is to take that familiarity and through more education around provenance and other attributes, drive increased demand for the fish. In video remarks opening the day, both Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski and Alaska Senator Dan Sullivan noted that provenance is on their minds when closing the ‘loophole’ for Russian-caught fish to enter the U.S. market. “If there was ever a time to call out Russia, it’s right now,” said Senator Murkowski, addressing the audience and opening the Annual Meeting. “This has gone on for far too long.” The meeting once again brings together representatives across all segments of the Wild Alaska Pollock industry for a day-long agenda at the Four Seasons, Seattle. GAPP would like to thank its current sponsors: USI Insurance Services (Title Sponsor); Alaska Airlines, Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute, Arctic Storm Management Group LLC, Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., Beck Pack Systems, Glacier Fish Company, Global Seas, and UniSea (Gold Level Sponsors); American Seafoods, Aquamar, Gorton’s Seafood, Highland Refrigeration, Lafferty’s EMS, Marine Stewardship Council, NORPEL, Port of Seattle, Trans-Ocean Products, Trident Seafoods, Urner Barry and Westward Seafoods (Silver Level Sponsors); Alaska Marine Lines, Alaskan Observers, Aleutian Pribilof Island Community Development Association (APICDA), Baader Food Processing Machinery, Clark Nuber, Global Seafood Alliance, Golden Alaska Seafoods, High Liner Foods, ICR, Inc., Islandsbanki, Ketchum, Northwest Farm Credit Services, and Petro Marine (Bronze Level Sponsors); and Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation, Angulas Aguinaga, Bank of America, Coastal Villages Region Fund, Neptune Snacks, Perkins Coie LLP, and Restaurant Depot (Supporting Sponsor). https://www.seafoodnews.com/Story/1262559/As-Millennials-Turn-40-Provenance-of-Wild-Alaska-Pollock-Matters-Greatly Federal Register Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment Request; NMFS Alaska Region Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) Program A Notice by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on 09/28/2023 The Department of Commerce, in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on proposed, and continuing information collections, which helps us assess the impact of our information collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. The purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment preceding submission of the collection to OMB. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/09/28/2023-21288/agency-information-collection-activities-submission-to-the-office-of-management-and-budget-omb-for Pacific Fishery Management Council; Public Meetings A Notice by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on 09/29/2023 The Pacific Fishery Management Council (Pacific Council) and its advisory bodies will meet November 1–8, 2023 in Garden Grove, California and via webinar. The Council meeting will be live streamed with the opportunity to provide public comment remotely. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/09/29/2023-21470/pacific-fishery-management-council-public-meetings Fisheries Off West Coast States; Coastal Pelagic Species Fisheries; Biennial Specifications; 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 Specifications for Pacific Mackerel A Proposed Rule by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on 09/29/2023 NMFS proposes to implement allowable catch levels, an overfishing limit, an allowable biological catch, and an annual catch limit for Pacific mackerel in the exclusive economic zone off the U.S. West Coast (California, Oregon, and Washington) for the fishing years (seasons) 2023–2024 and 2024–2025. This proposed rule is made pursuant to the Coastal Pelagic Species Fishery Management Plan. The proposed harvest guideline and annual catch target for the 2023–2024 fishing season are 7,871 metric tons (mt) and 6,871 mt, respectively. The proposed harvest guideline and annual catch target for the 2024–2025 fishing season are 8,943 mt and 7,943 mt, respectively. If the fishery attains the annual catch target in either fishing season, the directed fishery will close, reserving the 1,000-mt difference between the harvest guideline and annual catch target as a set-aside for incidental landings in other Coastal Pelagic Species fisheries and other sources of mortality. This rulemaking is intended to conserve and manage the Pacific mackerel stock off the U.S. West Coast. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/09/29/2023-21410/fisheries-off-west-coast-states-coastal-pelagic-species-fisheries-biennial-specifications-2023-2024 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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