Monday, May 16, 2022

Alaska Demand for Copper River salmon opener remains high Some retail markets waiting to see what they will pay before posting prices online Cordova Times by Margaret Bauman - May 13, 2022 On the eve of the Copper River commercial salmon season opener, folks at the famed Pike Place Fish Market in Seattle are betting that orders for those first run Chinooks and sockeyes will be robust, despite soaring prices. https://www.thecordovatimes.com/2022/05/13/demand-for-copper-river-salmon-opener-remains-high/ ADF&G: Sitka Sound herring sac roe harvest was largest in history Cordova Times - May 13, 2022 State biologists say the preliminary 2022 Sitka commercial herring sac roe harvest with an average mature roe percentage of 11.9% was the largest in the history of this sac roe fishery, accounting for 56% of the 2022 guideline harvest level of 45,164 tons. https://www.thecordovatimes.com/2022/05/13/adfg-sitka-sound-herring-sac-roe-harvest-was-largest-in-history/ National Biden signs Fisheries Advisory Committee Act into law Seafood Source by Steve Bittenbender - May 13, 2022 U.S. President Joe Biden has signed a bill into law that establishes an industry-led panel to help federal officials oversee grant awards for fisheries. https://www.seafoodsource.com/news/supply-trade/biden-signs-fisheries-advisory-committee-act-into-law The Biggest Takeaways From NOAA’s 2021 Status of The Stocks Report Urner Barry by Amanda Buckle - May 12, 2022 NOAA released their findings from the 2021 Status of the Stocks report on Thursday. The annual report breaks down how well fishery management measures are working, as well as details which stocks are experiencing overfishing, are overfished, or have been rebuilt. The full 11-page document can be found here, but we’re breaking down some of the biggest takeaways from the report below: Stock Status NOAA Fisheries manages 460 stocks. Of those stocks, NOAA says that they know the overfishing status of 322 of them. According to the agency, 296 are not subject to overfishing, while 26 are subject to overfishing. As for overfished stocks, NOAA says that they know the status of 252 stocks. Based on the report, NOAA says that 201 are not overfished, while 51 stocks are overfished. The percent of overfished stocks remain the same compared to last year’s report. Looking at 2020’s report, the total number of stocks with a known overfished status increased by one from 251 to 252. Diving deeper into the list, in 2021 there were two stocks removed from the overfishing list: tilefish (South Atlantic Coast) and yellowfin tuna (Eastern Pacific Ocean). Four stocks were added to the list: snowy grouper (South Atlantic Coast), greater amberjack (Gulf of Mexico), gag (South Atlantic Coast) and gag (Gulf of Mexico). As for the 2021 overfished list, only one stock was rebuilt this year and removed from the list: chinook salmon (California Central Valley: Sacramento River Fall). Three stocks were added to the overfished list: gag (Gulf of Mexico), gag (South Atlantic Coast), and snow crab (Bering Sea). Pandemic Relief Updates Funding to assist those recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic continued in 2021. NOAA allocated $600 million in fisheries assistance funding in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) and the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021. As of December 31, 2021, over $350 million of the funding has been disbursed. Changing Climate Conditions Warming waters are threatening ocean fisheries, and NOAA is continuing to incorporate new information and methodologies to respond to this shift. In 2021 the agency released their first ecosystem status report for the South Atlantic Region, which documented environmental changes in the South Atlantic. NOAA plans on using the information gathered from this report, as well as existing ecosystem status reports from other regions, to “track changes in complex ocean conditions, understand the correlation between environmental conditions and fisheries, and support advances toward ecosystem-based fisheries management.” In 2021 the agency also worked on developing new modeling methods to predict how marine heatwaves could impact fish stocks like Gulf of Alaska cod and pollock. The goal is for fishery managers to use this modeling method to help “develop resilient management appropriate for future environmental conditions.” https://www.seafoodnews.com/Story/1225613/The-Biggest-Takeaways-From-NOAAs-2021-Status-of-The-Stocks-Report International Alaska Anticipates Limited Salted Salmon Roe Production and Air Freight to Japan SeafoodNews.com by Tom Asakawa - May 16, 2022 The Copper River salmon fishery, which is the start of Alaska salmon fishing season in Alaska, opened today, May 16, which is one day earlier than last year. According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, the first day of the season opener is set from 7 am for 12 hours on May 17, and fishing restrictions continue for king salmon as usual for resource protection, Suisan Keizai reports. According to the previous forecast, the Fish & Game said that the number of sockeye salmon fishing in the Copper River area would increase to 1,432,000 fish this summer, including the returning to the hatchery, which is more than double the previous year's level, but 34% less than the average of the past 10 years. Last year, the actual catch was 404,653, 68% less than the 10-year average of 1,250,000 fish. In Japan, the arrival of airlifted Sujiko salted salmon roe indicates the start of the new season, but the sales are getting challenging year by year. Last year, the Japanese industry managed to secure the production quantity in the early stage amid the COVID pandemic. There is a delay in issuing visas for technicians again this year. With a large volume of carry-over inventories from the previous season, the market is not motivated for the season's new product. Since it is not as exciting as usual, most manufacturers who decide to produce for the time being are focusing on advance order manufacturing. Other than that, the manufacturers prioritize frozen green roe production. Most other manufacturers are expected to prioritize freezing green roe and passing salted roe for air shipment. For this reason, the volume of Sujiko salted roe brought in by air may decrease sharply, and even if it is brought in, a high price is inevitable due to various circumstances. Furthermore, it is not business sense to consider importing fresh fish by air transportation due to the high landing price. It seems that the former bustle will be forced to retreat further. https://www.seafoodnews.com/Story/1225760/Alaska-Anticipates-Limited-Salted-Salmon-Roe-Production-and-Air-Freight-to-Japan Federal Register Fisheries Off West Coast States; West Coast Salmon Fisheries; 2022 Specifications and Management Measures A Rule by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on 05/16/2022 Through this final rule, NMFS establishes fishery management measures for the 2022 ocean salmon fisheries off Washington, Oregon, and California, and the 2023 salmon seasons opening earlier than May 16, 2023, under the authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA). The fishery management measures vary by fishery and by area and establish fishing areas, seasons, quotas, legal gear, recreational fishing days and catch limits, possession and landing restrictions, and minimum lengths for salmon taken in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) (3-200 nautical miles (nmi)) (5.6-370.4 kilometers (km)) off Washington, Oregon, and California. The management measures are intended to prevent overfishing and to apportion the ocean harvest equitably among treaty Indian, non-Indian commercial, and recreational fisheries. The measures are also intended to allow a portion of the salmon runs to escape the ocean fisheries in order to provide for spawning escapement, comply with applicable law, and to provide fishing opportunity for inside fisheries (fisheries occurring in state waters). https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/05/16/2022-10430/fisheries-off-west-coast-states-west-coast-salmon-fisheries-2022-specifications-and-management 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. 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