Wednesday, July 20, 2022

Alaska Infrastructure Funding and Salmon? NMFS Could Make it Work SeafoodNews.com by Susan Chambers - July 15, 2022 West Coast and Alaskan salmon and whales could get an extra boost thanks to the National Marine Fisheries Service and federal infrastructure funds. NOAA Fisheries announced Thursday funding to aid the Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund program and target salmon recovery efforts from California to Alaska. NOAA recommends $95 million in funding, including $34 million in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds, for 19 new and continuing salmon recovery activities. Programs and projects recommended for funding will benefit three NOAA Fisheries Species in the Spotlight: Central California Coast coho salmon, Sacramento River winter-run Chinook salmon and Southern resident killer whales. In addition, programs and projects recommended for funding will aid in the recovery of 28 Endangered Species Act-listed salmon and steelhead species as well as non-listed ESA salmon and steelhead that are necessary for native subsistence or tribal treaty fishing rights, NMFS said in a press release. “This funding, including critical investments from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will enable NOAA Fisheries to deliver measurable, lasting benefits to both the environment and local economies on a scale like never before,” Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo said in the statement. “Working with states and tribes to restore these iconic species illustrates the Administration’s commitment to supporting collaborative conservation and building a Climate-Ready Nation.” PCSRF funds will target salmon habitat protection and restoration, enhancing tribal treaty and trust resources, critical salmon research and monitoring and will complement state and tribal programs for salmon recovery. NOAA is recommending $61 million in annual appropriation funding and $34 million in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding to supplement state and tribal salmon recovery programs and projects. Of the 19 applicants recommended to receive funding, 14 are individual tribal and tribal commission/consortia proposals and of those, two have not previously received PCSRF funds. “This is an unprecedented opportunity for NOAA to fund tribal applicants with $17 million recommended in awards to Columbia River and Pacific Coast tribes,” Janet Coit, assistant administrator for NOAA Fisheries and acting assistant secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere at NOAA, said. “The enhanced funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will help restore vital habitat for salmon and steelhead, adding significantly to the 1.2 million acres protected and conserved in the Pacific Northwest since 2000.” Highlighted projects and programs recommended for funding include but are not limited to:

• Bering Sea Fishermen's Association: Arctic-Yukon-Kuskokwim Tribal Research and Restoration Program

• Coeur d’Alene Tribe: Phase 2 Feasibility Studies for Salmon Reintroduction: Evaluation of Downstream Movement and Survival of Juvenile Chinook Salmon in the Upper Columbia Basin

• Suquamish Tribe: Rose Point Embayment Restoration

• Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation: Mill Creek Flow Restoration

• Confederated Tribes of the Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians: Waite Ranch Tidal Wetland Restoration

• Karuk Tribe: Upper Red Cap Creek Floodplain Restoration Project

• Tolowa Dee Ni’ Nation: Rowdy and Dominie Creek Fish Passage Improvement Project

NOAA funding enables some projects to bring years of planning to execution by transitioning from design to construction, while other projects use NOAA funds to design projects that will result in multiple community and economic benefits. NOAA’s PCSRF program has provided assistance to partners and entities across the West Coast and Alaska for more than 20 years. The program has a long history of successful habitat restoration projects that support threatened or endangered salmon and steelhead populations and help maintain populations necessary for exercising tribal treaty fishing rights and native subsistence fishing. While application approvals and fund obligations are not yet final, each of these applications is being recommended for funding, though final decisions will be made no later than October 1, 2022. https://www.seafoodnews.com/Story/1230303/Infrastructure-Funding-and-Salmon-NMFS-Could-Make-it-Work West Coast $95 Million to reverse the declines of West Coast salmon and steelhead National Fisherman by Jose Antunes - July 19, 2022 NOAA Fisheries is recommending more than $95 million in funding for 19 new and continuing programs and projects to support West Coast salmon and steelhead populations. https://www.nationalfisherman.com/west-coast-pacific/-95-million-to-reverse-the-declines-of-west-coast-salmon-and-steelhead National Grocers go wild for salmon as Bristol Bay hits record catch Seafood Source by Christine Blank - July 18, 2022 U.S. supermarket chains that have been featuring wild Alaska salmon throughout the summer are now promoting Bristol Bay sockeye salmon after a record harvest. https://www.seafoodsource.com/news/foodservice-retail/grocers-go-wild-for-salmon-as-bristol-bay-hits-record-catch International Russia to Speed Implementation of Second Stage of Reform to Compete With US in Global Pollock Market SeafoodNews.com by Eugene Gerden - July 18, 2022 Russia needs to speed implementation of a second stage of the distribution of investment fishing quotas in order to successfully compete with the U.S. in the global market of pollock and pollock products, according to recent statements made by representatives of some leading Russian fish producers and local media reports. As Aleksey Osintsev, President of the Russian Association of Shipowners of the Fishing Fleet, said in an interview with the Russian Kommersant business paper, implementation of these plans cannot be delayed, otherwise the industry will lose an incentive to develop processing facilities, which will provide an advantage to Russia’s major competitor in the global market of pollock products – the U.S. Osintsev’s statements came as a response to recent reports from Russian media about state plans to postpone implementation of the second stage of quotas’ distribution scheme in Russia, which is planned for 2023 due to massive complaints of Russian fish and seafood producers. Currently the modernization of the Russian fishing fleet is carried out at slow rates, with only 9 of the planned 105 fishing vessels being built within the framework of the first stage of quotas’ distribution. As part of the second stage of quotas’ distribution it is planned to allocate 24% of quotas for the production of herring and pollock in the Far East, 50% of crab and 100% of shellfish. According to forecasts of Rosrybolovstvo, during the second stage investors will invest 300 billion rubles in the construction of about 30 fishing vessels, 35 crab trawlers and 10 factories. In the meantime, many leading Russian fish producers continue to oppose planned quotas’ distributions. According to the assessment of the All-Russian Association of Fishermen (VARPE), the total costs of fishermen business during the second stage of quotas’ distribution procedure will exceed 471 billion rubles. VARPE President Herman Zverev insists on the need to postpone the second stage, as "the bill was written in yesterday's reality." According to him, the previously made calculations on project implementation terms and investment payback are no longer relevant today due to the new Western sanctions against Russia. https://www.seafoodnews.com/Story/1230389/Russia-to-Speed-Implementation-of-Second-Stage-of-Reform-to-Compete-With-US-in-Global-Pollock-Market Federal Register Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Several Groundfish Species in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area A Rule by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on 07/20/2022 NMFS apportions amounts of the non-specified reserve to the initial total allowable catch (ITAC) of Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) Kamchatka flounder and Central Aleutian Islands and Western Aleutian Islands (CAI/WAI) blackspotted/rougheye rockfish. This action is necessary to allow the fisheries to continue operating. It is intended to promote the goals and objectives of the fishery management plan for the BSAI management area. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/07/20/2022-15510/fisheries-of-the-exclusive-economic-zone-off-alaska-several-groundfish-species-in-the-bering-sea-and FYI’s Cordova’s Senior Salmon Day Donations Surpass Expectations, School Lunch Program Next SeafoodNews.com by Peggy Parker - July 18, 2022 For the 23rd year in a row, “The World’s Best Salmon” was caught, processed, packaged, and given away to local senior citizens in Cordova, Alaska. Many of the happy recipients fished local waters commercially, or put up home packs when they were younger. All are familiar with the taste, preparation, and nutritional qualities of salmon from the Copper River and from Prince William Sound. Generosity runs deep in this remote fishing community, home port to 550 independent fisherman, who fish for Chinook, sockeye, coho, keta or chum, and pink salmon. Hosted by Cordova District Fishermen United, Senior Salmon Day is woven into the town's tradition, celebrating the sustainable fishery and the local community. Donation day is announced a few weeks before it happens, while fishermen, tender vessels (who bring the salmon from the fishing grounds to town), and processors sign up to be part of the event. Prior to Covid, donations were accepted only on one designated day and the fish was filleted fresh on Main Street and handed off to seniors. In 2020, the logistics shifted to extend donation days and fillet and flash freeze (thanks to the generosity of local processing facilities) the fish prior to the day of the event. This year’s Senior Salmon Day was held on July 6th. ”The feeling of this year's Senior Salmon Day was abundance and gratefulness all around,” said Jess Rude, CDFU's Executive Director. “We were back together on Main Street and distributed more than 450 sockeye fillets, two fillets per elder,” Rude reported. Since Covid, Cordova’s fleet have donated more fish than ever. "Generosity of the fleet is up more than 50% of years past, perhaps because of a mix of neighborliness in harder times, thoughts on food security, or a fisherman's personal thoughts and reflections on inaccessibility to a local resource with market rates so high,” noted Rude. “We're thrilled to be able to showcase the generosity of the fleet, and the ways we all continue to lean in and share a coveted resource." When Cordova's seniors were asked how they would use the fillets, they shared family favorites and classic ways to prepare the region’s salmon: a barbecue with friends; pan frying it for dinner with a creamy lemon butter sauce; cooking it with a marinade of orange juice, soy sauce, spices; and putting it into their backyard smokehouse for a cold smoke before preserving. This communal generosity will continue this summer when CDFU and the Copper River Watershed organize donations for the Fish to School Donation event. Prince William sockeye and pink salmon will be the starring fish at this event and the salmon will be filleted and flash frozen at the processing facilities. The ultimate destination will be student lunch trays at the Cordova School District this fall. Five processing companies, nine fishing tenders, and 72 fishermen donated product and labor to make this year's Senior Salmon Day a success. Copper River/Prince William Sound Marketing Association (CRPWSMA), a fishermen funded regional seafood development association, worked with CDFU for Senior Salmon Day. The group represents the 500+ commercial salmon fishermen of coastal South-Central Alaska to build brand awareness and consumer preference for wild Copper River king, sockeye and coho as well as Prince William Sound sockeye, keta, and pink salmon. https://www.seafoodnews.com/Story/1230308/Cordovas-Senior-Salmon-Day-Donations-Surpass-Expectations-School-Lunch-Program-Next 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. 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