Thursday, December 3, 2020

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Please consider SeaShare in your end of year donation plans: 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 6 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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Alaska Bristol Bay could boom again; SE pinks, chinook still down Alaska Journal of Commerce by Elwood Brehmer - December 2, 2020 For better or worse, recent trends in some of Alaska’s primary salmon fisheries are likely to continue in 2021, according to early predictions from state biologists. https://www.alaskajournal.com/2020-12-02/bristol-bay-could-boom-again-se-pinks-chinook-still-down National NFI Releases Statement on Planned Allocation of COVID-19 Vaccine Urner Barry by Amanda Buckle - December 2, 2020 National Fisheries Institute President John Connelly released the following statement following the recommendation on prioritized allocation of the initial supplies of the COVID-19 vaccine from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP): “The National Fisheries Institute recognizes the hard work being done by these public health professionals and commends them on their decision to provide the vital vaccine initially to healthcare workers. Further, we applaud the Committee’s recognition that those harvesting our fish and processing and distributing our seafood are essential and will be considered in the next phase of vaccine distribution. Frontline seafood workers should rightfully be near the front of the line for vaccines. All Americans depend on these women and men to harvest and process healthy foods. As the federal agencies and state Governors develop their vaccine plans, they should protect those who labor to feed America’s families during this pandemic. Governments need to move from calling these folks heroes to protecting them with vaccines.” ACIP approved by a majority (13-1) vote during Tuesday’s emergency meeting that when a COVID-19 vaccine is authorized by FDA, that the initial phase of the COVID-19 vaccination program be offered to health care personnel and residents of long-term care facilities. Health care personnel are defined as “paid and unpaid persons serving in health care settings who have the potential for direct or indirect exposure to patients or infectious materials.” Long-term care facility residents are defined as “adults who reside in facilities that provide a variety of services including medical and personal care, and to persons who are unable to live independently.” On Tuesday the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union urged that the CDC prioritize grocery, meatpacking and food processors in the next phase of vaccinations. “America’s grocery, meatpacking, and food processing workers have been on the frontlines of this deadly pandemic since day one, putting themselves in harm’s way to feed our families during this crisis,” said UFCW president Marc Perrone. “As COVID-19 cases skyrocket, hundreds of these essential workers have already died and thousands more are infected daily as they serve our country by keeping our food supply secure. As the largest union for America’s essential workers in grocery, meatpacking, and food processing, UFCW is calling on the CDC to prioritize these brave men and women for early access to the COVID-19 vaccine immediately after health care workers. Protecting our country’s food workers is essential to keeping our communities safe and stopping future outbreaks in these high-exposure workplaces. CDC Director Redfield must recognize the vital role these essential workers serve by ensuring that they are among the first to receive access to the COVID-19 vaccine.” The recommendation to include essential workers in the next phase of vaccinations is expected to come in future meetings. More information on how the CDC is making their recommendations can be found here. https://www.seafoodnews.com/Story/1186506/NFI-Releases-Statement-on-Planned-Allocation-of-COVID-19-Vaccine International World’s biggest ocean sustainability initiative signed by 14 countries Seafood Source by Mark Godfrey - December 2, 2020 A new initiative designed to lessen humanity’s negative impacts on the world’s oceans has been signed by 14 countries. https://www.seafoodsource.com/news/environment-sustainability/world-s-biggest-ocean-sustainability-initiative-signed-by-14-countries Federal Register Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Cod in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands A Rule by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on 12/03/2020 This final rule modifies Federal permit conditions and imposes participation requirements for certain federally permitted vessels when fishing for Pacific cod in state waters adjacent to the exclusive economic zone of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands during the State of Alaska's parallel Pacific cod fishery. This action is necessary to enhance Federal conservation, management, and catch accounting measures previously adopted by the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) regarding license limitation, sector allocations, and catch reporting. This action is intended to promote the goals and objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area, and other applicable law. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/12/03/2020-26593/fisheries-of-the-exclusive-economic-zone-off-alaska-pacific-cod-in-the-bering-sea-and-aleutian Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands; Proposed 2021 and 2022 Harvest Specifications for Groundfish A Proposed Rule by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on 12/03/2020 NMFS proposes 2021 and 2022 harvest specifications, apportionments, and prohibited species catch allowances for the groundfish fisheries of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) management area. This action is necessary to establish harvest limits for groundfish during the 2021 and 2022 fishing years and to accomplish the goals and objectives of the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (FMP). The 2021 harvest specifications supersede those previously set in the final 2020 and 2021 harvest specifications, and the 2022 harvest specifications will be superseded in early 2022 when the final 2022 and 2023 harvest specifications are published. The intended effect of this action is to conserve and manage the groundfish resources in the BSAI in accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act). https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/12/03/2020-26598/fisheries-of-the-exclusive-economic-zone-off-alaska-bering-sea-and-aleutian-islands-proposed-2021 FYI’s Coast Guard: Winterize Boats Across the Pacific Northwest Fishermen's News - December 2, 2020 Coast Guard officials in Seattle are reminding that all vessel owners carefully winterize their boats, to ensure their safety, the longevity of the vessels and to safeguard the maritime community and environment around them. http://fnonlinenews.blogspot.com/2020/12/coast-guard-winterize-boats-across.html

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.