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Wednesday, February 4, 2026

Alaska

Alaska’s ferry system could run out of funding this summer due to ‘federal chaos problem’

A shift in state funding could help, but a big gap likely remains unless a key federal grant is issued

Alaska Beacon by James Brooks - February 3, 2026

Alaska’s state ferry system is at risk of a partial or total shutdown this summer due to the failure of the federal government to issue a key annual grant.


Trump administration set to take bids in federal oil and gas lease sale in Alaska’s Cook Inlet

Alaska Beacon by Yereth Rosen - February 2, 2026

The Trump administration is soliciting bids for what it intends to be the first in an annual series of oil and gas lease sales in federal waters of Southcentral Alaska’s Cook Inlet.


West Coast

Emergency Groundfish Rule Keeps Fleet Fishing as Species Prove More Abundant

New science prompts emergency changes giving fleet more flexibility.  

NOAA Fisheries - February 2, 2026

An emergency rule increases catch limits for shortspine thornyhead and two other groundfish species, increasing fishing opportunities off the West Coast.


National

US government releases more H-2B temporary work visas for seafood processors, other seasonal businesses

SeafoodSource by Nathan Strout - February 3, 2026

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Department of Labor (DOL) have released an additional 64,716 H-2B visas for fiscal year 2026, roughly doubling the number of temporary nonimmigrant work visas.

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International

EU Seafood Sectors Call for Urgent Corrections to Fisheries Control Regulation Implementation

SeafoodNews by Natasha Estremera - February 4, 2026

European organizations representing the fishing, processing, aquaculture and seafood trading sectors are calling on the European Commission to urgently revise the implementation of the EU Fisheries Control Regulation, with particular concern over the CATCH IT system and the application of Articles 14 and 58.

In line with a joint statement submitted by Member States to the Agriculture and Fisheries Council, and concerns widely shared during the AGRIFISH Council discussion, the sectors warn that key provisions are proving unworkable in practice and risk undermining safety at sea, legal certainty and the competitiveness of EU operators.

The industry argues that the phased introduction of the new control rules has created disproportionate administrative and operational burdens that are not aligned with actual control needs, running counter to the principles of proportionality, efficiency and effectiveness.

Requirements such as recording catches from zero kilograms and the strict application of tolerance margins are considered technically impossible under real fishing conditions, particularly in mixed fisheries and on smaller vessels. Across sectors, this increases safety risks, leads to unintentional infringements, and distorts risk-analysis systems, potentially affecting operators’ access to EMFAF support.Significant technical and operational shortcomings in the CATCH IT system are also disrupting supply chains and increasing compliance costs.

"The current approach places a disproportionate administrative burden on EU operators, including our importers and exporters, while participation by third-country authorities remains voluntary,"  the organizations declare.

The sectors warn that this effectively shifts responsibility onto EU importers, while unclear roles in catch certification and duplicative controls further extend processing times and increase legal uncertainty, compounded by the fact that the system is not yet fully operational in practice.

The industry representatives are therefore urging the Commission to take targeted corrective action, including easing tolerance rules for small estimation deviations, ensuring such deviations are not treated as serious infringements, postponing full implementation of the CATCH system until January 2027 with a transitional coexistence period, clarifying reporting obligations, and delaying digital traceability requirements after first sale until January 2029.

They warn that without swift, targeted adjustments, the current implementation risks undermining effective control while placing unnecessary strain on operators across the EU seafood value chain.


Russia's 2025 Salmon Catch Up 100,000 Tons Year‑on‑Year

SeafoodNews by Eugene Gerden - February 4, 2026

Russia remains the world's largest producer of Pacific salmon, according to recent statements from experts at the Russian Federal Agency for Fisheries (Rosrybolovstvo).

An agency spokesperson said that during the last salmon fishing season, Russia's catch totaled approximately 335,500 tons, about 100,000 tons higher than in 2024. The bulk of the catch traditionally comes from Kamchatka.

As a result, Russia is currently fully self‑sufficient in salmon and caviar, though it continues to import Atlantic salmon, primarily from Chile.This performance comes despite 2024 marking Russia’s lowest salmon catch in 20 years at 235,500 tons. Despite declining catches in recent years, the country has maintained its position ahead of the United States and Japan in Pacific salmon production. Russia’s highest catches were recorded in 2018 at 685,000 tons and in 2023 at 609,000 tons.


US pollock A season opens at even pace as Russia Okhotsk slow to start

US pollock's 2026 A season has opened near an even pace in Alaska's Bering Sea on a per-day basis, while Russia's Sea of Okhotsk fishery is slow to start

Undercurrent News by Masahiko Takeuchi - February 2, 2026

The 2026 A season for pollock, the world's largest single fishery sector, has opened at a similar pace to a year ago in the US state of Alaska's Bering Sea, while Russia's Far East fishery in the Sea of Okhotsk has started well behind last year [...]

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Environment/Science

HAB, climate change research updates presented at AMSS 2026

National Fisherman by Margaret Bauman -  February 4, 2026

Abundant research on harmful algal blooms (HABs), climate change impacts on Alaska’s commercial fisheries, and efforts to make the state’s waters safer to navigate was presented Jan. 26–29 at the 2026 Alaska Marine Science Symposium. 

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Warming and crowding starved Bering Sea snow crabs, hindering recovery amid climate change

Global Seafood Alliance by Darryl Jory - February 2, 2026

Study findings suggest that warming and loss of sea ice will exacerbate the risk of collapse in snow crabs through energetic constraints on survival.


IB 26-08: NMFS Prohibits Directed Fishing for Pacific cod by Catcher Vessels Greater than or Equal to 60 feet Length Overall Using Pot Gear in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands

Notice of a fishery management action

NOAA Fisheries - February 02, 2026

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific cod by catcher vessels greater than or equal to 60 feet (18.3 meters (m)) length overall (LOA) using pot gear in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI), effective 12 noon, Alaska local time, February 4, 2026, according to Jonathan M. Kurland, Regional Administrator, Alaska Region, NMFS.


Federal Register

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Cod by Catcher Vessels Using Trawl Gear in the Central Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska

A Rule by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on 02/04/2026

NMFS is opening directed fishing for Pacific cod by catcher vessels using trawl gear in the Central Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA).


Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Cod by Vessels Using Pot Gear in the Western Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska

A Rule by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on 02/03/2026

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific cod by vessels using pot gear in the Western Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). 


North Pacific Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting

A Notice by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on 02/03/2026

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Council) Legislative Committee will meet March 2, 2026. 


FYI’s

ADFG Hosting Feb. 12 Zoom Meeting To Discuss Prince William Sound Shrimp Fisheries

Alaska Sporting Journal by chrisco2 - February 3, 2026  

Prince William Sound Shrimp Fisheries Public Zoom Meeting

(Anchorage) – The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G), Divisions of Sport and Commercial Fisheries, will be hosting a Prince William Sound Shrimp Fisheries informational meeting. This will be held via Zoom on Thursday, February 12 from 7:00 – 8:30pm and open to the public. 


Pacific Seafood Processors Association

4039 21st Ave. W, Suite 400, Seattle, WA 98199

Phone: 206.281.1667

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.

 
 
 

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