Monday, December 29, 2025
- admin04655
- 2 days ago
- 9 min read
Alaska
Fewer chums but better prices helped Southeast commercial fleet
Wrangell Sentinel by Jake Dye - December 23, 2025
Markets are continuing to bounce back from recent lows in Southeast commercial salmon fisheries, and a pair of Wrangell gillnetters said they are hopeful to see continued improvement in the chum salmon fishery.
Alaska fisheries in 2025: turmoil, economic and environmental challenges and some bright spots
NOAA cuts, economic headwinds and invasive species pose problems, but there was some recovery in crab stocks and salmon harvests
Alaska Beacon by Yereth Rosen - December 23, 2025
For Alaska’s fishing industry and fishing-dependent communities, 2025 was a year of turmoil and uncertainty, much of it imposed by ideological pursuits from the new Trump administration.
Outlook 2026: What's in store for the world's largest sockeye salmon fishery next year
Bristol Bay fishermen hauled in 41.2 million sockeye salmon this year, a catch that outpaced forecasts but still couldn't keep up with consumer demand.
Intrafish by Rachel Sapin - December 24, 2025
This year was in many ways, a banner one for Alaska's processors and fishermen in Bristol Bay, home to the world's largest wild sockeye salmon fishery.
*Requires Subscription
Indigenous nation to get $7,250-per-person payments as a contentious mine advances upstream of Alaska
Juneau Independent by Max Graham - December 24, 2025
An Indigenous community is locked in a debate about the pros and cons of a major new mine on their traditional lands — and a big cash payment promised by the developer.
Kenai asks for fishery economic disaster declaration
The Kenai City Council requested that Gov. Dunleavy declare a disaster and support a recovery plan for the Upper Cook Inlet East Side Set Net fishery.
Peninsula Clarion by Chloe Anderson - December 24, 2025
The Kenai City Council unanimously voted on Dec. 17 to request Gov. Mike Dunleavy to declare an economic disaster for the Upper Cook Inlet East Side Set Net Fishery and support a recovery plan.
*Requires Subscription
2026 Will Be Another Strong Year for Sitka Herring
SeafoodNews by Peggy Parker - December 26, 2025
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) announced last week that the guideline harvest level (GHL) for the 2026 Sitka Sound sac roe herring fishery is 35,015 tons with a forecasted weight of 156 grams, averaged across all age classes. The forecast is based on an estimated biomass of 233,433 tons of mature herring, a slight (6%) decrease from the year-ago estimates of 247,081 tons.
Two new management changes were made at the Board of Fisheries meeting in late January and early February 2025 that impacted the GHL. First, the maximum harvest rate for the herring sac roe fishery in Sections 13-A and 13-B was reduced from 20% to 15%. Second, the Board raised the threshold for the fishery from 25,000 tons to 26,000 tons.
The 2026 has a wider margin of uncertainty due to variability among forecasting models that track the herring population's trajectories. It is not enough to decrease the current GHL, the department noted.
To forecast biomass, the department uses a model that uses a long time series of data on egg abundance and age composition from department surveys and herring samples during active spawning, as well as from the commercial sac roe fishery. Herring egg abundance is estimated using aerial, vessel, and SCUBA diving surveys. Shorelines with herring spawn are mapped and followed by dive surveys to estimate egg density and the width of egg deposition. The department mapped 89.5 nautical miles (nmi) of unique shoreline with herring spawn in the Sitka Sound area during the spring of 2025, compared to the recent 10-year (2015–2024) average of 72.6 nmi.
The total harvest for the sac roe herring fishery in 2025 was 6,198 tons of herring; an additional 266 tons of herring were harvested in test and bait fisheries. The 2025 egg deposition estimate was about 26% greater than in 2024 and the fifth-highest on record since the department began egg deposition surveys.
Herring is a nutrient-dense fish that is high in protein, providing about 20-33 grams per 3-ounce serving, and is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, and vitamin B12. It contains no carbohydrates and is low in saturated fat.
Golden King and Tanner Crab Seasons Open in SE AK Mid-Feb. 2026, GHLs Slightly Less than 2025
SeafoodNews by Peggy Parker - December 29, 2025
The six-week season of golden king crab and tanner crab in Southeast Alaska will open on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, with a slightly lower guideline harvest limit for golden king crab and a lower biomass recorded for mature tanners.
Last summer and fall’s crab survey data produced a biomass estimate of 3.05 million lbs. of mature male Tanner crab, about 250,000 lbs. lower than the 2024 estimate of 3.30 million lbs. This puts the biomass in a conservative position, which will allow less fishing time.
The initial period of the commercial Tanner crab fishing season will take place in the core areas, non-core areas, inside exploratory areas, and outside exploratory areas, and will last at least 5 days. An advisory announcement will be issued on February 17, 2026, announcing whether the initial fishing period will be extended based on the total number of pots registered in the fishery for the 2026 season.
The season length after the initial period, when the core areas will close to fishing, will be extended by an additional five days: the core areas will remain closed, while the non-core areas, inside exploratory areas, and outside exploratory areas will remain open. After the non-core areas close to fishing, the inside exploratory areas and outside exploratory areas will remain open for an additional fourteen days. After the inside exploratory areas near fishing close, the outside exploratory areas will remain open through Tuesday, March 31, 2026.
For golden king crab, the biomass is also slightly down with Guideline Harvest Levels (GHLs) in Registration Area A (Southeast Alaska) at 330,000 lb. That total is spread across seven management areas as follows:
Region Pounds
Upper Northern - 16,800
Lower Northern - 13,200
Icy Strait - 22,500
North Stephens Passage - Closed
East Central - 202,500
Mid-Chatham Strait - 44,500
Lower Chatham Strait - 7,500
Southern - 23,000
Total - 330,000
Before the season starts, the first mandatory call-in for the 2026 season is Monday, February 16, 2026, and permit holders will be required to disclose which management area they plan to fish in first. If there is no harvest to report on February 17, 2026, report the statistical area in which gear has been set or will be set. This reporting requirement applies to all GKC registrants, even if the permit holder initially targets Tanner crab.
Each management area will be managed in-season and closed by emergency order once the individual management area GHLs are estimated to be achieved. ADF&G will evaluate fishery performance in-season, with the initial period beginning in the core areas, then in the non-core regions, then in the inside exploratory areas, and finally in the outside exploratory areas, for a minimum of 5 days.
Additional fishing time may be allowed based on the estimated biomass of mature male crab and the number of registered pots at the start of the fishery. An advisory announcement will be issued on February 17, 2026, announcing if the initial fishing period will be extended based on the total number of pots registered in the fishery for the 2026 season.
Alaska king crab hatchery construction underway in idle Trident plant
"It's kind of a leap of faith. We don't know what's going to happen, but we're trying, and this is the first attempt to really make a tangible impact on a population that has an active fishery' - Ben Daly, Alaska Department of Fish and Game
Undercurrent News by Jacob Resneck - December 29, 2025
A decades-long effort to boost red king crab production in the US state of Alaska is finally taking shape with a pilot project underway in the Bering Sea to release hatchery-raised juvenile crab into the Bristol Bay fishery.
*Requires Subscription
West Coast
WPRFMC continues push to restore commercial fishing access in marine monuments
SeafoodSource by Nathan Strout - December 24, 2025
The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council (WPRFMC) is continuing its push to restore commercial fishing in multiple marine national monuments, directing staff to analyze regulations and submit final recommendations ahead of the council’s March 2026 meeting.
*Requires Subscription
International
Canada, US planning formal trade talks, placing potential tariffs back on horizon
SeafoodSource by Chris Chase - December 22, 2025
Canada and the U.S. are poised to enter formal trade talks in 2026 as the U.S., Mexico, and Canada Agreement (USMCA) reaches its first review period.
*Requires Subscription
US seafood importers’ bill for Trump’s tariffs blows past $1bn
Chinese seafood was the most tariffed between April and September 2025, but seafood from India and Chile also got hit hard
Undercurrent News by Jason Huffman - December 24, 2025
US seafood tariff revenue hit an all-time high in September and imports were down year-on-year for the second consecutive month, based on the latest update of seafood trade data by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) [...]
*Requires Subscription
Environment/Science
MSC joins Science Center for Marine Fisheries
SeafoodSource by Chris Chase - December 22, 2025
The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) has joined the industry advisory board of the U.S. Science Center for Marine Fisheries (SCEMFIS) and said it plans to help support its work on marine science.
*Requires Subscription
Federal Register
Alaska Outer Continental Shelf, Cook Inlet Planning Area, Oil and Gas Lease Sale 258
A Notice by the Ocean Energy Management Bureau on 12/22/2025
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announces the availability of the modified record of decision (ROD) for the Cook Inlet Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Lease Sale 258.
Fisheries Off West Coast States; Modification of the West Coast Salmon Fisheries; Inseason Actions #1-#5
A Rule by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on 12/22/2025
NMFS announces five inseason actions for the 2025 portion of the 2025-2026 ocean salmon fisheries. These inseason actions modify the commercial salmon fisheries in the area from the United States/Canada border to Cape Falcon, Oregon.
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Alaska Region Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Crab Economic Data Reports
A Notice by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on 12/22/2025
The Department of Commerce will submit the following information collection request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and clearance in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, on or after the date of publication of this notice.
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Alaska Community Quota Entity (CQE) Program
A Notice by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on 12/23/2025
The Department of Commerce will submit the following information collection request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and clearance in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, on or after the date of publication of this notice.
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Inseason Adjustment to the 2026 Gulf of Alaska Pacific Cod Total Allowable Catch
A Rule by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on 12/23/2025
NMFS is adjusting the 2026 total allowable catch (TAC) amounts for the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) Pacific cod fisheries.
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Inseason Adjustment to the 2026 Aleutian Islands Pacific Cod Total Allowable Catch Amount and Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Pacific Cod Allocations
A Rule by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on 12/23/2025
NMFS is adjusting the 2026 total allowable catch (TAC) amount for Aleutian Islands (AI) Pacific cod and the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) Pacific cod sector allocations and seasonal apportionments.
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Several Groundfish Species in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area
A Rule by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on 12/23/2025
NMFS apportions amounts of the nonspecified reserves to the total allowable catch (TAC) of “other flatfish” and octopuses.
Fisheries Off West Coast States; Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery; Trawl Rationalization Program; 2026 Cost Recovery Fee Notice
A Notice by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on 12/29/2025
This action provides participants in the Pacific Coast Groundfish Trawl Rationalization Program with the 2026 cost recovery fee percentages and the average mothership (MS) price per pound to be used in the catcher/processor (C/P) Co-op program to calculate the fee amount for the upcoming calendar year.
Takes of Marine Mammals Incidental to Specified Activities; Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities' Cold Bay Ferry Terminal Reconstruction Project in Cold Bay, Alaska
A Notice by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on 12/29/2025
NMFS has received a request from the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (ADOT&PF) for authorization to take marine mammals incidental to the Cold Bay Ferry Terminal Reconstruction Project in Cold Bay, Alaska.
Pacific Seafood Processors Association
4039 21st Ave. W, Suite 400, Seattle, WA 98199
Phone: 206.281.1667
E-mail: admin@pspafish.net; Website: www.pspafish.net
Our office days/hours are Monday-Friday8:00 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.
Comments