Tuesday, April 13, 2021

Alaska Bristol Bay salmon season opens June 1 High percentage of run is expected to be age 1.2 sockeyes, weighing about four pounds Cordova Times by Margaret Bauman - April 12, 2021 Commercial fishing for Bristol Bay salmon opens officially on June 1. While commercial fishing is considered an essential business and part of the state’s essential services and critical infrastructure, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game is reminding harvesters to ensure that all travel and other activities in support of their fishing operations follow the protocols listed online at cdv.tiny.us/advisories. These include mandates for international and interstate travel for those entering Alaska. https://www.thecordovatimes.com/2021/04/12/bristol-bay-salmon-season-opens-june-1/ Harvesters to NOAA: Ecosystem-based solutions are needed Recommendations for climate-resilient fisheries include a reduction in carbon emissions Cordova Times - April 12, 2021 Federal officials looking for recommendations on how to achieve climate-resilient fisheries are being advised, by a group representing thousands of commercial fishermen, that such decisions should be locally defined and drafted to support local livelihoods. https://www.thecordovatimes.com/2021/04/12/harvesters-to-noaa-ecosystem-based-solutions-are-needed/ West Coast Pacific waters off the West Coast showed improved productivity, says NOAA Cooler temperatures created a robust environment for nutrient-rich plankton to proliferate East Bay Times by Tess Joosse - April 5, 2021 Ocean waters off the West Coast showed signs of improved productivity in 2020 after several years of warm water and poor fisheries conditions, according to the most recent California Current Ecosystem status report released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2021/04/05/pacific-waters-off-the-west-coast-showed-improved-productivity-says-noaa/ National Biden administration proposes record $6.9 billion budget for NOAA Washington Post by Jason Samenow - April 10, 2021 President Biden’s administration has proposed a budget increase for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that would be the biggest in the agency’s history if approved by Congress. https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2021/04/09/biden-budget-increase-noaa/?variant=116ae929826d1fd3 *Subscription Required Environment/Science Massive collapse of Atlantic cod didn’t leave evolutionary scars Science Magazine by Erik Stokstad - April 7, 2021 Atlantic cod was once one of the most important fish species in the world. The big, long-lived predator helped feed Europe and North America for centuries. But decades of overfishing in the mid–20th century caused populations to crash, wiping out 30,000 jobs in Canada alone and financially devastating many coastal communities. https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2021/04/massive-collapse-atlantic-cod-didn-t-leave-evolutionary-scars Federal Register North Pacific Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting A Notice by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on 04/13/2021 The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) Bering Sea Fishery Ecosystem Plan (BS FEP) Team will meet May 3, 2021, and from May 24, 2021, through May 25, 2021. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/04/13/2021-07532/north-pacific-fishery-management-council-public-meeting Pacific Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting A Notice by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on 04/12/2021 The Pacific Sablefish Transboundary Assessment Team (PSTAT), in collaboration with the Northwest Fisheries Science Center (NWFSC), Alaska Fisheries Science Center (AFSC), Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G), Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC), and North Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC), is holding a public workshop to solicit feedback on the ongoing range-wide sablefish management strategy evaluation (MSE). The Sablefish MSE Workshop is open to the public. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/04/12/2021-07415/pacific-fishery-management-council-public-meeting Pacific Halibut Fisheries; Catch Sharing Plan A Proposed Rule by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on 04/13/2021 NMFS issues this proposed rule to revise regulations for the commercial individual fishing quota (IFQ) Pacific halibut (halibut) fisheries for the 2021 IFQ fishing year. This proposed rule would remove limits on the maximum amount of halibut IFQ that may be harvested by a vessel, commonly known as vessel use caps, in IFQ regulatory areas 4A (Eastern Aleutian Islands), 4B (Central and Western Aleutian Islands), 4C (Central Bering Sea), and 4D (Eastern Bering Sea). This action is needed to provide additional flexibility to IFQ participants in 2021 to ensure allocations of halibut IFQ can be harvested by the limited number of vessels operating in these areas. This action is within the authority of the Secretary of Commerce to establish additional regulations governing the taking of halibut which are in addition to, and not in conflict with, those adopted by the International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC). This action is intended to promote the goals and objectives of the IFQ Program, the Northern Pacific Halibut Act of 1982, and other applicable laws. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/04/13/2021-07520/pacific-halibut-fisheries-catch-sharing-plan

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