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Wednesday, April 16, 2025

Alaska ComFish day 1: Marine debris crisis & opioid abuse among commercial fishermen topics of discussion KTUU by Justin Mattson - April 15, 2025 KODIAK, Alaska (KTUU) - The issues surrounding commercial fisheries are being discussed at ComFish Alaska in Kodiak, such as the marine debris crisis and opioid usage among commercial fishermen https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2025/04/16/comfish-day-1-marine-debris-crisis-opioid-abuse-among-commercial-fishermen-topics-discussion/ Copper River Opens May 22 with Projected Catch More Than Twice the 10-Year Average SeafoodNews.com by Peggy Parker - April 15, 2025 The opening of the Copper River salmon season signals the start of another salmon year in Alaska. This year, the Copper River will open on May 22, a week later than historical tradition, with a much higher sockeye run than in recent years, which justifies a commercial harvest forecast of 1.92 million fish in the Copper River alone. That prediction is 2.3 times the 10-year (2015–2024) average of 824,000 fish.Copper River Chinook salmon, which has been decreasing for many years across most of the state, is expected to produce landings of 36,000 fish, about 25% below the 10-year (2015–2024) average of 48,000 king salmon.In Prince William Sound (PWS), the two major runs of sockeye salmon are Coghill Lake and the Eshamy District.The total run forecast for Coghill Lake sockeye salmon is 331,000 fish, which would justify a 275,000 sockeye catch limit. Meanwhile, Eshamy is predicted to host a one million sockeye salmon run, resulting in a commercial take of 728,000 fish.Based on the strong Coghill Lake sockeye salmon forecast and recent trend in annual escapement near or above the upper end of the Coghill Lake escapement goal, 60-to-84-hour periods are likely in north Port Wells and College Fiord waters, the state agency said.The 2025 pink salmon total run forecast for PWS is 66.7 million fish, with a potential commercial harvest of 56.12 million fish. This pink salmon total run forecast includes 18.63 million wild stock fish, 20.07 million Valdez Fisheries Development Association (VFDA) fish, and 28 million PWSAC hatchery fish.Approximately 3.61 million (18%) of the projected VFDA pink salmon return will be needed for cost recovery and broodstock, leaving 16.46 million fish available for commercial harvest. Approximately 5.12 million (18%) of the projected pink salmon run to the PWSAC hatcheries will be needed for cost recovery and broodstock, leaving 22.88 million fish available for commercial harvest.Finally, forecasts around the state include 29 million pink salmon from Southeast Alaska, with 35 million sockeye salmon expected to be harvested in Bristol Bay. https://www.seafoodnews.com/Story/1303227/Copper-River-Opens-May-22-with-Projected-Catch-More-Than-Twice-the-10-Year-Average

Politics ‘We are all afraid’: Speaking to Alaska nonprofit leaders, Murkowski gets candid on upheaval in federal government Anchorage Daily News by Zachariah Hughes - April 15, 2025 U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski told a room full of Alaska nonprofit leaders that the tumult of tariffs, executive orders, court battles, and cuts to federal services under the Trump administration are exceptionally concerning. https://www.adn.com/politics/2025/04/14/we-are-all-afraid-speaking-to-alaska-nonprofit-leaders-murkowski-gets-candid-on-upheaval-in-federal-government/ Alaska lawmaker: Controversial reorganization of NOAA threatens management of pollock, cod, other fisheries A shakeup at NOAA has the seafood industry concerned about upcoming trawl surveys and other data needed for commercial openers. Intrafish by Rachel Sapin - April 16, 2025  Alaska Senator Dan Sullivan said Tuesday that he needs more information on why the Trump administration is considering the controversial proposal to transfer the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) fisheries service functions to the US Fish and Wildlife Service. https://www.intrafish.com/fisheries/alaska-lawmaker-controversial-reorganization-of-noaa-threatens-management-of-pollock-cod-other-fisheries/2-1-1808273 National Trump admin names new NOAA Fisheries head amid plans to slash agency Seafood Source by Nathan Strout - April 15, 2025 U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick has named a new head of NOAA Fisheries, the agency charged with managing the nation’s commercial fisheries, even as the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump plans on slashing the regulator’s budget and moving its functions to the U.S. Department of Interior. https://www.seafoodsource.com/news/environment-sustainability/trump-admin-names-new-noaa-fisheries-head-amidst-plans-to-slash-agency

International Russia Wraps up Successful Pollock Fishing Season "A" SeafoodNews.com by Eugene Gerden - April 14, 2025 Russian fisherman recently completed a successful "A" season for domestic pollock fishing, which led to the growth of catch in the Sea of Okhotsk, Russia’s main pollock-producing area of the country, amounting to about 850,000 tons and over 1 million tons for the entire Far Eastern basin.This was recently confirmed by Alexey Buglak, President of the Russian Pollock Association (ADM), who commented in an interview with the Russian magazine Fish News that despite difficult weather conditions, the growth of catch in the Sea of Okhotsk was up 2.5% compared to the same period last year.Buglak recalled that due to the unfavorable fishing situation, fishermen were falling behind last year's figures for much of the season. It was not until early April when they managed to increase the pace and close the gap, thus completing a successful “A” season for pollock fishing.During the forthcoming summer season, Russian fishermen plan to catch at least 130,000-140,000 tons of pollock between the coastal fishery and the autumn season "B,” which takes place in the Sea of Okhotsk.The total allowable catch of pollock in the Far Eastern basin for 2025 is set at 2.4 million tons.According to the ADM, since the beginning of the year, 110 trawlers have been working in the pollock trawling fishery in Russia, with the bulk of the catch (86%) accounted for with the large-tonnage fleet. The average catch per vessel-day varied from 65 to 158 tons, depending on the type of trawler.According to the Association's estimates, onboard production of pollock products as of April 10 has exceeded 577,000 tons. This is 1.8% higher than the 2024 level. The output of pollock fillets increased by 1% to 51.400 tons. Surimi was again the main driver of growth, with its production increasing by 36% to 41.400 tons. https://www.seafoodnews.com/Story/1303063/Russia-Wraps-up-Successful-Pollock-Fishing-Season-A Environment/Science UAF researchers looked inside spotted seal stomachs. They found microplastics in all but one KUCB by Theo Greenly - April 15, 2025 The study, published in the Marine Pollution Bulletin, found microplastics in 33 of the 34 spotted seal stomachs harvested from the Bering and Chukchi seas. https://www.kucb.org/science-environment/2025-04-15/uaf-researchers-looked-inside-spotted-seal-stomachs-they-found-microplastics-in-all-but-one Labeling and Marketing ASMI Awarded $4.5 Million in International Marketing Federal Funding Perishable News by The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) Seafood - April 14, 2025 JUNEAU, Alaska – The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) is pleased to announce it has secured over $4.5 million in federal Market Access Program (MAP) funding to increase its international marketing efforts. MAP funds are provided by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to share the costs of overseas marketing and promotional activities that help build commercial export markets for U.S. agricultural products and commodities, and they require a monetary match from the participating organization. https://www.perishablenews.com/seafood/asmi-awarded-4-5-million-in-international-marketing-federal-funding/ Federal Register Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; Fisheries Off West Coast States; Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery; 2025-2026 Biennial Specifications and Management Measures; Inseason Adjustments A Rule by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on 04/16/2025 This final rule announces routine inseason adjustments to management measures in commercial and recreational groundfish fisheries. This action is intended to allow commercial and recreational fishing vessels to access more abundant groundfish stocks while protecting overfished and depleted stocks. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/04/16/2025-06443/magnuson-stevens-act-provisions-fisheries-off-west-coast-states-pacific-coast-groundfish-fishery Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; Fisheries off West Coast States; Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery; 2025 Pacific Whiting Tribal Allocation and 2025 Incidental Set-Aside A Proposed Rule by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on 04/15/2025 NMFS issues this proposed rule to establish the 2025 Tribal allocation of Pacific whiting and set-aside of Pacific whiting for research and incidental mortality in non-groundfish fisheries. The proposed measures are intended to help prevent overfishing, achieve optimum yield, ensure that management measures are based on the best scientific information available, and provide for the implementation of Tribal treaty fishing rights. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/04/15/2025-06346/magnuson-stevens-act-provisions-fisheries-off-west-coast-states-pacific-coast-groundfish-fishery FYI’s Alaska delegation, NOAA staff and others to discuss fisheries at 2025 Comfish in Kodiak KMXT by Davis Hovey, Brian Venua - April 15, 2025 From left to right, Sen. Lisa Murowski, Sen. Dan Sullivan, and Rep. Nick Begich each on separate visits to Kodiak. Murkowski visited for ComFish in 2025, Sullivan giving a speech at ComFish in 2024, and Begich at the Fisheries Debate in October 2024. https://www.kmxt.org/news/2025-04-15/alaska-delegation-noaa-staff-and-others-to-discuss-fisheries-at-2025-comfish-in-kodiak

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