Alaska
Alaska seafood prominently featured in US restaurant chains' Lent specials
Seafood Source by Christine Blank - February 16, 2024
A variety of seafood from Alaska – especially pollock – is heavily featured in U.S. restaurant chains’ limited-time offers during the Lenten season, which began 14 February and runs through 28 March.
https://www.seafoodsource.com/news/premium/foodservice-retail/alaska-seafood-heavily-featured-in-us-restaurants-lent-specials
Senator Murkowski Addresses Alaska Lawmakers With Candor and Optimism SeafoodNews.com by Peggy Parker - February 16, 2024 Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski’s signature probity was on display in her annual address to the Alaska State Legislature yesterday. Her remarks acknowledged the challenges, including political divisions, at play in the state and across the country, but highlighted the importance of solutions focused on issues, not party affiliation.“As the elections approach, there’s going to be pressure to show whether you’re with the Republicans or with the Democrats, with probably very little in between,” she said. “So let’s show the country that sure we’ve got our differences — we will always have our policy differences — but we can figure out ways to work through them.”Alaska Public Media’s coverage of Murkowski’s speech began with “While former President Donald Trump continues to tighten his hold on the Republican party, Sen. Lisa Murkowski made clear in her annual speech to the Alaska Legislature that she’s immune to that force field.”Murkowski acknowledged the hits Alaska has taken from COVID-19, climate change, and an uncertain economy, but noted Alaska’s resiliency and some recent ‘wins’ for the states economy.”In the past year, Alaska has seen work begin at the new Willow and Pikka oil fields on the North Slope, and there are more than 4,000 new construction jobs in the region. When was the last time we could point to numbers like that for anything in our state?” Murkowski asked.“There’s also been progress on Graphite One, a major graphite mine planned for the Seward Peninsula, she said. The Biden administration closed a gap in its seafood embargo of Russia, something that benefits Alaska. Billions of dollars is being spent to upgrade internet connections in Alaska, and more infrastructure money is coming to the state.”Alaska will receive more than $7.2 billion in the new infrastructure law — more per capita than any other state in the nation.Murkowski gave kudos to Senator Dan Sullivan and U.S. House Rep. Mary Peltola for their effectiveness in the past year and noted how well the three work together.“A good example is fisheries. You know the Treasury Department is finally closing loopholes in U.S. sanctions that allow Russia to dump its overharvested seafood into our markets,” she noted for the lawmakers. “Treasury’s announcement is unequivocally good for us, at a time when so much is unequivocally bad for our fisheries.“But it didn’t just happen. Dan led the delegation charge, pushing for months until the announcement was made.“Mary helped push that with the administration, and she’s worked tirelessly to educate her House colleagues about our fisheries and our resources. She’s one of 435, but she stands out, and she, too, is making a difference for Alaska.Later, Murkowski elaborated. “The “absence of abundance” is threatening subsistence, commercial, and recreational fishing alike. Fish racks hang empty on the Yukon and Kuskokwim. The processing industry is undergoing a wave of consolidation.“Outside groups are attempting to shut down entire fisheries and list the king salmon as endangered.“So much of we thought we knew is changing. The changes in our climate threaten our food security and our economic security. I worry about King Cove, False Pass, Kodiak, and all the coastal communities that depend on fish, fish processing, and the fish tax. Just as I worry about those who are not able to fill their freezers with fish from the river,” she said.In an expansive look at the world, Murkowski said she “can’t recall a time when so many hostilities were flaring up in so many places.”She described the legislation passed by the Senate early Tuesday to provide security assistance for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan."It helps our allies, it sends a strong message to our enemies, and it is crucial to reinforce our domestic defense base—but it’s also months late and faces resistance in the House of Representatives.“Regarding Ukraine, set aside, for a moment, our abundantly clear geopolitical interests in containing Russia. That war is being fought by Ukrainians, not Americans, and those Ukrainians are giving their lives to try to preserve their fledgling democracy.“Yet the outcome largely depends not on them, but their allies, and whether we still believe enough in our core principles—the principles we have held since at least World War II, that NATO was founded on—that we will not turn our backs on global bullies, let alone openly encourage them to attack others,” she said.“This is the moment we’re living through. Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea are looking to unseat Western power. Our own southern border is in chaos. Cartels are poisoning our people with fentanyl.“Times like these require leadership that brings us together. We’re seeing anything but that in these highly partisan times.“So to keep my head above water during this unproductive Congress, I’m focusing on legislative solutions for Alaska—and looking for every window of opportunity.”Two are the Improving ARCTIC Act and her Working Waterfronts legislation.The ARCTIC Act will help strengthen Alaska’s food security, seafood industry, and more, improving her Micro-Grants for Food Security Program, which helped hundreds of Alaskans grow more food supporting food banks in rural communities and increasing local food processing capacity.The Working Waterfronts legislation offers tax credits for marine energy, loan guarantees for commercial fishermen and fish processors to help coastal communities, and much more.“We need to make all of our communities safer, healthier, and more resilient. At the federal level, that happens through legislation—as well as congressionally directed spending, Appropriations more broadly, and by trying to work with the administration, regardless of who is President and the timing of the next election,” she said.Sen. Sullivan is scheduled to address the Legislature Wednesday, Feb. 21 at 11 a.m.Rep. Mary Peltola has not yet announced a date for her address to the body. https://www.seafoodnews.com/Story/1271890/Senator-Murkowski-Addresses-Alaska-Lawmakers-With-Candor-and-Optimism National Agriculture Department commits to big purchase of Alaska salmon and pollock for food programs Alaska Beacon by Yereth Rosen - February 20, 2024 The U.S. Department of Agriculture will purchase about 50 million pounds of Alaska seafood to use in national food and nutrition-assistance programs, state officials said on Tuesday. https://alaskabeacon.com/briefs/agriculture-department-commits-to-big-purchase-of-alaska-salmon-and-pollock-for-food-programs/ Labeling and Marketing 3MMI - 2024 Russia Pollock: Harvest, Prices, Outlook TradexFoods - February 19, 2024 Russia's total fish harvest by mid February surpassed 600,000 MT’s with a notably stronger Pollock "A" season harvest. For the EU, this should result in increased availability and cheaper twice-frozen Russian Pollock from China. We advise securing your Alaskan Pollock supply due to anticipated constraints on Alaskan raw materials, driven by domestic processing demands and Chinese reprocessing needs. Watch to Find Out More. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tf17mXHTPD0&t=1s Federal Register Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Cod in the Central Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska A Rule by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on 02/20/2024 NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for the Pacific cod sideboard limit by non-exempt American Fisheries Act (AFA) catcher vessels in the Central Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the annual 2024 Pacific cod sideboard limit established for non-exempt AFA catcher vessels in the Central Regulatory Area of the GOA. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/02/20/2024-03370/fisheries-of-the-exclusive-economic-zone-off-alaska-pacific-cod-in-the-central-regulatory-area-of
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