Monday, August 25, 2025

Alaska Prince William Sound salmon harvest reaches 42.8M fish Cordova Times by Margaret Bauman - August 23, 2025 Commercial salmon harvests for Prince William Sound were close to topping 43 million fish this week, up some 5 million fish over a week ago. https://thecordovatimes.com/2025/08/23/prince-william-sound-salmon-harvest-42-m-fish/ Silver Bay wins bid to send canned salmon to Sri Lanka The bid was approved through a federal program being phased out by the Trump administration. Intrafish by Rachel Sapin - August 22, 2025 The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) on Wednesday awarded Alaska-based salmon processor Silver Bay Seafoods a contract worth $876,942 (€747,169) to supply over 100 metric tons of 14.75-ounce cans of pink salmon. https://www.intrafish.com/salmon/silver-bay-wins-bid-to-send-canned-salmon-to-sri-lanka/2-1-1861548 Raising the idea of salmon farms in Alaska, Gov. Dunleavy swims against a tide of skeptics Anchorage Daily News by Julia O'Malley - August 24, 2025 Amid the hubbub of President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s Alaska summit last week, Gov. Mike Dunleavy, posting on social media, posed a provocative question. https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/2025/08/23/raising-the-idea-of-salmon-farms-in-alaska-gov-dunleavy-swims-against-a-tide-of-skeptics/ Fishing Report: Big fish from big derbies help cast a line to communities The silver salmon are flooding the Alaskan waters for derbies across the state. Alaska News Source by Jordan Rodenberger - August  22, 2025  ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - While anglers show up for fish derbies across the state every year, you can’t always guarantee the fish will show up. However, this year, the silver salmon are flooding the Alaskan waters for derbies across the state. https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2025/08/23/fishing-report-big-fish-big-derbies-help-cast-line-communities/ Legal clouds lifted for Alaska floating salmon processor The settlement of the high-stakes dispute follows Northline's solid season in Bristol Bay, Alaska. Intrafish by Rachel Sapin - August 21, 2025 A US court has released Alaska salmon startup Northline Seafoods from a nearly $1.4 million bond (€1.2 million) that was issued in connection with a legal dispute involving an alleged breach of contract over welding and fabrication work conducted on the company's 400-foot processing barge. https://www.intrafish.com/legal/legal-clouds-lifted-for-alaska-floating-salmon-processor/2-1-1860966 Bristol Bay sockeye sizes show improvement following record lows Last year's sockeye were, on average, the smallest ever recorded. Intrafish by Rachel Sapin - August 22, 2025 Following a record year for small sockeye in 2024, this year's fish in Bristol Bay have returned to sizes more in line with historical averages. https://www.intrafish.com/salmon/bristol-bay-sockeye-sizes-show-improvement-following-record-lows/2-1-1861554 State loses appeal against feds and Alaska Native groups over rural priority for subsistence fishing Anchorage Daily News by Alex DeMarban - August 21, 2025 A federal appeals court has ruled against Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s administration in its battle with the federal government over management authority of subsistence fishing on a Southwest Alaska river. https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/rural-alaska/2025/08/21/state-loses-appeal-against-feds-and-alaska-native-groups-over-rural-priority-for-subsistence-fishing/ International Russia Bets on Consistent Bering Sea Fish Catches SeafoodNews.com by Eugene Gerden - August 21, 2025 Russia is betting on stable fish catches in the Bering Sea in the coming years, particularly around pollock and herring.This year, the total allowable catch (TAC) for pollock in the West Bering Sea and Chukchi zones was set at just above 702,000 metric tons.This section is one of the primary areas of year-round fishing in the Russian section of the Bering Sea. Concerns around current stocks of bottom-living and demersal fish are expected to lead to more research, which is expected to lead to Russian fisheries authorities better planning the TAC for the region.Implementation of these plans will be carried out with the participation of foreign partners. Last month, a joint expedition of scientists from the Ilyichev Pacific Oceanological Institute and the First Institute of Oceanography of the Ministry of Natural Resources of China began. Scientific research will be conducted in the Bering Sea and the northwestern part of the Pacific Ocean with the use of some of the most modern research vessels.  Despite the push for more research, Russia doesn’t plan for a major increase of fish catch in the Bering Sea nor does it plan to revise the 1990 USA/USSR Maritime Boundary Agreement, which set the demarcation line of maritime spaces between the sides  in the Bering Sea (also given that it has not yet been officially ratified in Russia).This is despite the fact that earlier the Russian senators denounced the 1956 fisheries agreement with Great Britain, which allowed the British fisherman to conduct catch in the Russian zone of the Barents Sea along the coast of the Kola Peninsula.  The revision of the US/USSR agreement could be associated with some negative consequences (according to some analysts, it may have an impact on Alaskan fishermen) and may not be within the interests of Russia at present, amid the recent meeting between Russian and US leaders.At present, Russian fishermen catch only 20% of the pollock in the Bering Sea, which is equivalent to 400,000 metric tons, which is several times lower than that of the US.  Still, some major Russian fish companies have even proposed lowering quotas in recent months. At a meeting at the Federal Agency for Fishery last summer, representatives of the Association of Fishing Fleet Owners (ASRF), the All-Russian Association of Fishing Enterprises, Entrepreneurs and Exporters (VARPE) and the Association of Pollock Catchers (ADM) explained their initiative by the global decline in pollock prices by 23% due to its large supplies on the global market. They also believe its further increase in catch will negatively affect their export revenue.  As German Zverev, head of VARPE, has earlier stated, citing on  All-Russian Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography (VNIRO) in the last several years, the VNIRO has assessed the pollock stock in the Bering Sea as high and, accordingly, has increased the volume of permitted catch - in three years it has grown by 1.7 times, to 705,000mt. Still, according to some local analysts, there is a possibility that the total allowable catch for 2026 will be substantially lower those in 2025.According to Rosrybolovstvo, approximately 1.5 million mt of pollock enter the Russian western part of the Bering Sea every year, which, after growing, goes to the eastern part to the US part, where fishermen catch 1.1–1.3 million tons. https://www.seafoodnews.com/Story/1316725/Russia-Bets-on-Consistent-Bering-Sea-Fish-Catches Environment/Science Improved eDNA Primer Enhances Rockfish Species Identification in Alaska A new rockfish-specific genetic tool supports more detailed monitoring of rockfish assemblages. NOAA Fisheries - August 21, 2025 A groundbreaking new environmental DNA (eDNA) tool is set to transform how scientists monitor rockfish populations. Rockfish are important to both commercial and recreational fisheries in Alaska. By analyzing DNA collected from water samples, this tool provides unprecedented accuracy in identifying a wide range of rockfish species. This- includes those that are closely related and hard to tell apart using previously available genetic methods. https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/improved-edna-primer-enhances-rockfish-species-identification-alaska Labeling and Marketing 3MMI - Booming 2025 Fraser River Sockeye Run vs Massive 2010 Year Tradex Foods - August 25, 2025 The highly regarded Fraser River Sockeye in British Columbia Canada has been making headlines all month as the Fraser River Sockeye run size estimate continues to be revised, up to 6.3 million fish (at the time of reporting), nearly triple the preseason forecast, and still climbing - so How Does it Stack up to the Benchmark Year of 2010? Watch to Find Out More. Watch to Find Out More. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Jg9PvJiKyw Federal Register Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone off Alaska; Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands; Final 2025 and 2026 Harvest Specifications for Groundfish; Correction A Rule by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on 08/25/2025 On March 18, 2025, NMFS published the final rule to implement the 2025 and 2026 harvest specifications, apportionments, and prohibited species catch (PSC) allowances for the groundfish fishery of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). Following publication, errors were identified in table 21, which provides notice of allocations of groundfish and apportionments of PSC limits for the Community Development Quota (CDQ) groups. This rule corrects the errors in table 21. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/08/25/2025-16242/fisheries-of-the-exclusive-economic-zone-off-alaska-bering-sea-and-aleutian-islands-final-2025-and Opinion Opinion: It’s time for the trawl industry to stop misleading Alaskans — and for our elected officials to act Anchorage Daily News by Serena Fitka, Lexi Hackett, Adam Hackett, Steve Fish, Kari Johnson and Seth Koetitz - August 24, 2025 A recent opinion column in multiple Alaska newspapers by Washington-based trawlers (“We’re Alaska pollock fishermen. Here’s the truth about our fishery.” ADN, Aug. 10) is a master class of spin and deflection. Trawlers know they have a PR problem and have hired public relations firms, a platoon of lobbyists and former agency officials to engage in a coordinated effort aimed at hiding their massive impact on the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska ecosystems and gaslighting Alaskans who criticize their operations. https://www.adn.com/opinions/2025/08/23/opinion-its-time-for-the-trawl-industry-to-stop-misleading-alaskans-and-for-our-elected-officials-to-act/

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