Monday, June 7, 2021

Alaska Low king counts to close Anchor, Deep Creek to fishing KDLL by Elizabeth Earl - June 4, 2021 Starting Saturday, Anchor River and Deep Creek will close to king salmon fishing through July 15. Too few kings are coming back to the Anchor to justify a sport fishery there, according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. https://www.alaskapublic.org/2021/06/04/low-king-counts-to-close-anchor-deep-creek-to-fishing/ Northern Lights: The COVID trail Fisherman's New by Dan Lesh, Guest Author - June 6, 2021 America’s largest seafood producing state kept working through the covid-19 pandemic, but under difficult and constantly changing conditions. Seafood consumers were unable to eat out but became hungrier than ever for everything from king crab to Alaska pollock fish sticks to canned salmon. For at least nine months retail seafood sales were up 20-30 percent above pre-pandemic levels — a higher sales bump than all other parts of the grocery store. Those increases tell the story of high demand, but also of the hard work and sacrifice that kept boats fishing, processing lines operating, and shippers moving products to where they were needed. https://www.nationalfisherman.com/alaska/northern-lights-the-covid-trail Fishery closure plan heads to feds for approval KDLL by Sabine Poux - June 4, 2021 Fishermen will still drift net Upper Cook Inlet’s federal waters this summer. But it may be their last season there, after the body that manages the fishery moved to close it to commercial fishing late last year. https://www.kdll.org/post/fishery-closure-plan-heads-feds-approval#stream/0 Copper River District sockeye returns too weak to open fishery As stocks decline, veteran harvesters want more answers, better enforcement of regulations Cordova Times by Margaret Bauman - June 3, 2021 After a valiant commercial start that yielded far below the forecast in sockeyes and Chinooks, the Copper River salmon fishery has been closed pending a boost in the sonar count, leaving harvesters wondering when the next opener will come. https://www.thecordovatimes.com/2021/06/03/copper-river-district-sockeye-returns-too-weak-to-open-fishery/ National Seafood price hikes underway as suppliers face major labor shortage Seafood Source by Christine Blank - June 4, 2021 U.S. seafood suppliers, processors, and wholesalers are facing a major labor shortage, transportation price hikes, and increased costs of seafood, packaging, and other supplies that are complicating their operations, just as the country looks set to emerge from the yearlong COVID-19 crisis. https://www.seafoodsource.com/news/supply-trade/seafood-price-hikes-underway-as-suppliers-face-major-labor-shortage Biden administration to tighten protection around endangered species These are the latest in Biden’s rollback of Trump-era regulations. The Hill by Alexandra Kelley - June 4, 2021 The Biden administration is working on strengthening the implementation and efforts of the Endangered Species Act (ESA), cutting rollbacks previously imposed by the Trump administration that reduced protections for threatened species. https://thehill.com/changing-america/sustainability/environment/556931-biden-administration-to-tighten-protection-around FYI’s NOAA Fisheries Seeks Public Input on Proposal to Close Commercial Salmon Fishing in the Cook Inlet EEZ Council recommended measure responds to court ruling requiring Federal management of EEZ waters in Cook Inlet NOAA Fisheries - June 4, 2021 NOAA Fisheries is seeking public comments on a proposal to amend the Fishery Management Plan for the Salmon Fisheries in the Exclusive Economic Zone off Alaska (Salmon FMP) to prohibit commercial salmon fishing in federal waters, also called the exclusive economic zone or EEZ, in Cook Inlet. The proposed action would not close any salmon fishing in State of Alaska waters. https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/noaa-fisheries-seeks-public-input-proposal-close-commercial-salmon-fishing-cook-inlet

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