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SeaShare donations are in demand at nations food banks and throughout AK:SeaShare’s seafood partners are working harder than ever to keep markets supplied, shelves filled, and families fed. Despite all the challenges, these same partners — fishermen, processors, distributors, and others — have donated over 7 million seafood servings to food banks across the country so far this year. Our collective response to the unprecedented need has been incredible. Together we are supplying the best protein to families who can really use a good meal.
Please consider donations to SeaShare as you finalize your end-of-year donation plans. Just $1 helps provide 8 servings of seafood to hungry neighbors nationwide. We at PSPA and SeaShare hope you have a safe and happy holiday season!
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Politics
Senate passes bill to help fishing industry
KINY - December 4, 2020
Washington, DC (KINY) - U.S. Senators Dan Sullivan and Lisa Murkowski applauded the Senate's passage of the Young Fishermen's Development Act.
Senators Push USDA to Buy More Seafood After COVID-19 Decimates Fisheries Sector
SeafoodNews.com by Susan Chambers - December 7, 2020
Two senators are trying to help U.S. fisheries decimated by the coronavirus pandemic.
Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., on Friday requested the Government Accountability Office conduct a study to explore ways to ensure that American fisheries receive the expanded economic support they desperately need. The senators are asking for more seafood be purchased through the federal government purchases through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Commodity Procurement Program.
“The seafood industry is critical to local and regional economies across the country and is largely sustained by the sale of fresh product," the senators' letter to Comptroller General Gene Dodaro said. "Notably, more than 68 percent of the $102.2 billion that consumers paid for U.S. fishery products in 2017 was spent at food service establishments. Because of the coronavirus, this market evaporated, and the supply chain for fishermen and seafood processors was decimated."
The USDA is the only federal agency capable of providing the necessary real-time assistance due to demand-side disruptions.
"As such, USDA has an important role to play in supporting the seafood industry, including fishermen and processors,” the lawmakers continued.
The senators also highlighted that historically, USDA food purchasing contracts have been awarded to just a handful of processors in a few select states, leaving many processors, and the families who rely on them, without assistance. Among them, seafood processors have had the least access to support. As outlined in a Congressional Research Service analysis, the agency spent more $1.2 billion on meat products, compared to just $153 million worth of a limited number of seafood products through the Section 32 program.
Merkley, who serves as the top Democrat on the Appropriations Subcommittee that funds the USDA, plans to use the results of the requested GAO study to determine how to more effectively use federal purchasing power to support the fishing and seafood industries in the future through increases in the volume and variety of seafood products purchased.
The senators seek answer to questions such as:
How does the UDSA’s Agricultural Marketing Service determine the types of seafood products it purchases for the various food programs, and what criteria does it use in making its decisions?
What factors, if any, may limit the AMS' purchases of seafood products for food programs, and what actions, if any, could AMS take to increase the amount and varieties of seafood it purchases?
To what extent, if at all, does AMS collaborate with NOAA when making seafood purchasing decisions?
What outreach does USDA conduct to industry participants and program stakeholders, particularly smaller processors, when developing its purchasing requests and what action, if any, could AMS take to improve that outreach?
The senators' letter is part of an ongoing push by Merkley and Reed to secure more support for fisheries amid the coronavirus pandemic, which previously included a bipartisan letter signed by more than two dozen lawmakers.
The full text of the letter is available at: https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/merkley-reed-lead-push-for-us-department-of-agriculture-to-provide-seafood-industry-with-much-needed-support-2020
Environment/Science
Under Biden, NOAA’s Profile Is Set to Rise as Climate Change Takes Center Stage
Transition team is working to set goals and identify leaders for agency.
Washington Post by Andrew Freedman & Jason Samenow - December 4, 2020
When President-elect Joe Biden takes office in January, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is expected to rise to new prominence as the premier climate research agency in an administration that intends to place climate change at the top of its agenda.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2020/12/04/noaa-biden-transition-climate-leaders/
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Maine debris legislation passes U.S. Senate
Cordova Times by Margaret Bauman - December 6, 2020
Legislation aimed at reducing plastic waste in oceans has passed the U.S. Senate and now heads to the White House for President Donald Trump’s signature.
https://www.thecordovatimes.com/2020/12/06/maine-debris-legislation-passes-u-s-senate/
Labeling and Marketing
3MMI - China Supply Interruptions; Pollock, Salmon, Cod, Haddock; Buy
TradexFoods - December 7, 2020
Starting with raw materials in China and the main issues interrupting supply are delays and backups as vessels are anchored outside Dalian awaiting COVID testing and disinfecting resulting in stronger pricing across the board. Moving onto product availability in North American markets and our recommendation is to purchase ahead of the curve on whichever products you can get your hands on as Chinese New Year closures and Lent are just around the corner.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ym3jzgWkY40&feature=emb_logo
FYI’s
CRWP will benefit from Sena Sea seafood sales
Cordova Times by Margaret Bauman - December 4, 2020
Alaska salmon, black cod, halibut, plus smoked products, samplers and gift packs from Cordova’s own Sena Sea are available for purchase during the holidays.
https://www.thecordovatimes.com/2020/12/04/crwp-will-benefit-from-sena-sea-seafood-sales/
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.