Monday, May 9, 2022

Alaska Commerce Secretary Allocates Over $140 Million for Multiple Fishery Disasters Urner Barry by Ryan Doyle - May 5, 2022 A total of $144 million will be allocated to various states and Washington tribes that suffered fishery disasters between 2018 and 2021, Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo announced on May 5. The states of Alaska, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, the Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation and the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe (Washington State) will receive funding. “Productive and sustainable fisheries play a vital role in supporting our blue economy, from creating jobs to literally putting food on the table, all while helping to preserve the health of our delicate ocean ecosystem,” said Secretary Raimondo. “Once distributed, these funds will help affected fisheries and communities recover from disasters and make them more resilient to future challenges.” The allocation will apply to previously declared fishery disasters, as SeafoodNews reported in June 2021, for the 2019 Alaska Norton Sound king crab fishery, the 2019/2020 New York Peconic Bay scallop fishery, the Port Gamble Tribe’s 2018 Puget Sound coho salmon fishery, the Chehalis Tribe’s 2019 Chehalis River spring Chinook salmon fishery and the 2019 Atlantic herring fishery, as well as multiple fisheries between 2018 and 2021 in Alaska, including: - 2018 Upper Cook Inlet East Side Set Net and 2020 Upper Cook Inlet salmon fisheries. - 2018 Copper River Chinook and sockeye salmon fisheries, 2020 Prince William Sound salmon fisheries, and 2020 Copper River Chinook, sockeye, and chum salmon fisheries. - 2019/2020 Eastern Bering Sea Tanner crab. - 2020 Pacific cod in the Gulf of Alaska. - 2020 Alaska Norton Sound, Yukon River, Chignik, Kuskokwim River, and Southeast Alaska Salmon fisheries. - 2021 Yukon River salmon fishery. NOAA Fisheries shared that it used commercial revenue loss information to allocate the funding across the disasters. It also said it took into account “traditional uses that cannot be accounted for in commercial revenue loss alone, such as cultural and subsistence uses.” The funds allocated will help improve the long-term economic and environmental sustainability of the impacted fisheries, per NOAA. Funds can be used to assist the impacted fishing communities including commercial fishermen, recreational fishermen, charter businesses, shore-side infrastructure and subsistence users. NOAA Fisheries will work with states receiving the aforementioned allocations to help administer the funds. It said that fishing communities and individuals impacted by the disasters should work with their state or tribe as appropriate. NOAA shared these links for more detailed information about allocations to the states and tribes and for more on fishery disaster assistance. https://www.seafoodnews.com/SearchStory/qFp7C--Il__zNet1NnadLEgt7mRZOL9GpGTpBBmt98UwpPeZKf0ACNQg==/1225070 National American Fisheries Advisory Committee Act heads for Biden’s desk Cordova Times - May 6, 2022 Legislation to create an industry-led committee to assist in the administration of fisheries marketing research and development grants has passed both houses of Congress and is now heading for President Biden’s desk. https://www.thecordovatimes.com/2022/05/06/american-fisheries-advisory-committee-act-heads-for-bidens-desk%EF%BF%BC/ International Russia Sharply Increases Manufacture of Pollock Products This Year SeafoodNews.com by Eugene Gerden - May 6, 2022 Despite the ongoing military conflict and unprecedented sanctions, Russia is increasing production of fish products this year, particularly those made from pollock. Several days ago, the pollock fishing season officially ended in the Sea of Okhotsk. The growth of catch was equivalent to 1.5% compared to last year's level up to 880,000 tonnes. A more significant growth was achieved in the processing sector, as the production of the majority of the most demanded products, among which are fillets, minced meat, surimi frozen headless pollock, grew by several times, compared to a similar period last year. As representatives of the Russian Pollock Association said in an interview with the East Russia business paper, the production of pollock fillets increased by 50% compared to the same period in 2021, minced meat by 92%, while surimi by 18 times. In 2022, the overall on-board production of high value-added fish products, according to forecasts, may increase to 170,000-190,000 tons (compared to 123,000 tonnes in 2021). A further growth should be provided by the building of additional processing facilities onshore, which are planned to be built as part of the second stage of the investment quota program. In contrast to previous years, a significant part of this output will be sent to the domestic market, with the biggest opportunities being observed in the segment of frozen fish fillets and frozen white fish. Domestic products should replace imports of frozen white fish fillets (pangasius, tilapia, hake) and other fish fillets, which total imports to Russia in 2021 amounted to almost 60,000 tonnes. According to ADM estimates, with an average annual capacity of the Russian market of 125,000-130,000 tons of pollock products in 2021, deliveries to the domestic market reached a record level of 250,000 tons. https://www.seafoodnews.com/Story/1225087/Russia-Sharply-Increases-Manufacture-of-Pollock-Products-This-Year Environment/Science Saving PNW salmon may involve saving another fish too, scientists say FOX 13 by Matthew Smith - May 5, 2022 WASHINGTON - Hundreds of millions of dollars have gone into salmon recovery, and more work is needed. Now, scientists are asking the question: Could saving a smaller, less recognizable fish, be one of the keys to their recovery? https://www.q13fox.com/news/saving-pnw-salmon-may-involve-saving-another-fish-too-scientists-say Federal Register North Pacific Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting A Notice by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on 05/09/2022 The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) Pacific Northwest Crab Industry Advisory Committee (PNCIAC) will meet May 25, 2022. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/05/09/2022-09908/north-pacific-fishery-management-council-public-meeting North Pacific Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting A Notice by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on 05/09/2022 The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) Halibut and Sablefish Individual Fishing Quota Committee (IFQ Committee) will meet May 26, 2022. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/05/09/2022-09880/north-pacific-fishery-management-council-public-meeting Fisheries Off West Coast States; Coastal Pelagic Species Fisheries; Annual Specifications; 2022-2023 Annual Specifications and Management Measures for Pacific Sardine A Proposed Rule by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on 05/09/2022 NMFS proposes to implement annual harvest specifications and management measures for the northern subpopulation of Pacific sardine (hereafter, Pacific sardine), for the fishing year from July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2023. The proposed action would prohibit most directed commercial fishing for Pacific sardine off the coasts of Washington, Oregon, and California. Pacific sardine harvest would be allowed only for use as live bait, in minor directed fisheries, as incidental catch in other fisheries, or as authorized under exempted fishing permits. The incidental harvest of Pacific sardine would be limited to 20 percent by weight of all fish per trip when caught with other stocks managed under the Coastal Pelagic Species Fishery Management Plan, or up to 2 metric tons per trip when caught with non-Coastal Pelagic Species stocks. The proposed annual catch limit for the 2022-2023 Pacific sardine fishing year is 4,274 metric tons. This proposed rule is intended to conserve, manage, and rebuild the Pacific sardine stock off the U.S. West Coast. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/05/09/2022-09926/fisheries-off-west-coast-states-coastal-pelagic-species-fisheries-annual-specifications-2022-2023 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.