Monday, June 13, 2022

Alaska Low sockeye numbers behind Buskin River closure KMXT by Kirsten Dobroth - June 11, 2022 The Buskin River will close for subsistence and sport sockeye salmon fishing on Sat. June 11 at 12:01 a.m., according to Alaska’s Department of Fish and Game. The closure encompasses the inside waters of Chiniak Bay from Cliff Point to the southernmost tip of Near Island to a point near Gibson Cove. In an advisory announcement, Fish and Game cited low sockeye numbers for the closure – as of Fri., June 10, 887 fish had been counted at the Buskin Lake weir. https://kmxt.org/2022/06/low-sockeye-numbers-behind-buskin-river-closure/ Fourth opener yields robust sockeye harvest June 6 deliveries bring in 84,555 reds, 1,016 kings Cordova Times by Margaret Bauman - June 11, 2022 A robust fourth opener on the Copper River commercial salmon fishery, heralded in some retails shops as the Rolls Royce of the salmon world, brought in an estimated 85,579 salmon, mostly sockeyes, promptly a slight dip in prices as retail demand remained high. https://www.thecordovatimes.com/2022/06/11/fourth-opener-yields-robust-sockeye-harvest/ The Kuskokwim River Salmon Management Working Group met for the first time this summer KYUK by Olivia Ebertz - June 10, 2022 The Kuskokwim River Salmon Management Working Group is an advisory body to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. https://www.kyuk.org/science-and-environment/2022-06-10/the-kuskokwim-river-salmon-management-working-group-met-for-the-first-time-this-summer A pandemic success story, Sitka Salmon Shares closes plant as sales tumble during the recovery KCAW - June 10, 2022 A Sitka seafood processor abruptly shut down on June 6, laying off about 40 people. Sitka Salmon Shares helped pioneer the direct-to-consumer seafood market in Alaska, but the surge in growth the company experienced during the pandemic could not be sustained in the recovery. https://www.kcaw.org/2022/06/10/a-pandemic-success-story-sitka-salmon-shares-closes-plant-as-sales-tumble-during-the-recovery/ 13 Western Alaska tribal and fishing organizations ask Alaska Peninsula fishery to shut down to protect chum salmon KYUK by Anna Rose MacArthur - June 3, 2022 Thirteen organizations representing subsistence and commercial salmon fishermen in Western Alaska have signed a joint letter asking a fishery along the coast of the Alaska Peninsula to shut down during the month of June to prevent it from harvesting chum salmon bound for Western Alaska rivers. Chum salmon stocks crashed to record lows last year, and the letter writers fear that another low return this summer could push the chum past the point of recovery. https://www.kyuk.org/hunting-fishing/2022-06-03/13-western-alaska-tribal-and-fishing-organizations-ask-alaska-peninsula-fishery-to-shut-down-to-protect-chum-salmon International Container prices, port problems set to spike Seafood Source by Christine Blank - June 10, 2022 Container prices, which have already significantly increased globally, are expected to continue to spike this year. “One of the big reasons why prices are going up is the cost of shipping things across the Pacific, in particular,” United States President Joe Biden said during a call with retailers, per Freightwave. https://www.seafoodsource.com/news/processing-equipment/container-prices-port-problems-set-to-spike How Groups Are Taking Action Ahead of World Oceans Day Urner Barry by Amanda Buckle - June 7, 2022 Wednesday, June 8 is World Ocean Day, a day to unite and rally the world to protect and restore our blue planet. First proposed by Canada in 1992 at the Earth Summit in Rio, it wasn’t until 2002 that the Ocean Project began its global promotion and coordination of World Ocean Day in collaboration with global partners. Today, industry groups use the day to highlight the work they’re doing to protect the ocean. Walton Family Foundation This World Ocean Day the Walton Family Foundation is urging action on seafood traceability. A new Morning Consult poll commissioned by the Walton Family Foundation reveals that 70% of Americans want their seafood to be sourced sustainably, and that 65% of Americans want to know where their food is processed. “The challenges of climate change intersect with building resilient food systems in our world’s oceans,” said Moira Mcdonald, Environment Program Director at the Walton Family Foundation. “At the Walton Family Foundation, we focus on sustainable seafood because we know that when you take care of the fish, you’re necessarily taking care of everything else that matters in the ocean. So, that means being smart about how much we fish, what we fish and where we fish.” McDonald is urging industry and government to “work together to strengthen our systems so that fishers who are doing the right thing are not at a competitive disadvantage.” Marine Conservation Institute Ahead of World Ocean Day, the Marine Conservation Institute announced a new publication in “Biological Conservation” detailing the causes of potentially irreversible declines in ocean health and marine wildlife along with a plea to take immediate action on climate change, ocean pollution, and destructive fishing practices. The organization is now calling on scientists around the world to sign a letter warning humanity of the need to conserve and restore our oceans. According to the group, approximately 125 scientists had already signed the letter as of Friday, June 3. Hundreds more are expected to sign the letter in support leading up to World Ocean Day on June 8 and during the rest of June, which is also Oceans Month. “Without an immediate and considerable change in course, the ocean will become significantly more degraded, less productive, and less resilient to climate change in coming decades,” said Dr. Lance Morgan, President of the Marine Conservation Institute. “In turn this will cause profound and difficult-to-overcome hardships for humanity, especially the people who inhabit coastal areas of the world or depend on fish for their major source of protein or income.” SeaChoice Many grocers are already focused on sustainable seafood and social responsibility efforts, but this World Ocean Day SeaChoice is calling for Canadian grocers to accelerate these efforts. “Grocery stores are where most Canadians buy their seafood,” said SeaChoice Supply Chain Analyst Dana Cleaveley. “Therefore, grocers have a significant responsibility to their customers to ensure all the seafood they sell – not just some – is sourced in an environmentally and socially responsible way…We know that consumers want greater transparency from business about the seafood they buy. For example, our polls over the years have confirmed that Canadians want more information on seafood labels – such as whether it’s farmed or wild, and where it actually came from. So, it’s time for grocers to step up to the plate.” https://www.seafoodnews.com/Story/1227457/How-Groups-Are-Taking-Action-Ahead-of-World-Oceans-Day FYI’s PWSSC honors McCune contributions to fisheries resources Cordova Times - June 11, 2022 Commercial fisheries veteran Jerry McCune, a gillnetter and lobbyist who recently retired as president of Cordova District Fishermen United, has been honored as the 2022 winner of the Prince William Sound Science Center’s Fisheries Achievement Award. https://www.thecordovatimes.com/2022/06/11/pwssc-honors-mccune-contributions-to-fisheries-resources/ CRWP to host first of four gillnet recycling events Cordova Times - June 11, 2022 Copper River Watershed Project is gearing up or the first of four net recycling events planned for June through October and seeking volunteers to help with the first event from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 15-17 in the Alaska Commercial Company parking lot. https://www.thecordovatimes.com/2022/06/11/crwp-to-host-first-of-four-gillnet-recycling-events/ News Release: Coast Guard to conduct commercial fishing vessel exams for Western Alaska and Bristol Bay U.S. Coast Guard 17th District Alaska - June 10, 2022 ANCHORAGE, Alaska — The Coast Guard will offer courtesy dockside examinations of commercial fishing vessels in Western Alaska and Bristol Bay in anticipation of the 2022 Bristol Bay salmon fishery season. https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDHSCG/bulletins/31b4e44?reqfrom=share 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. 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