Wednesday, March 24, 2021

Alaska Hatcheries Again Make Huge Contribution to Alaska Salmon Catch SeafoodNews by Laine Welch - March 24, 2021 This is Alaska Fish Radio. I’m Laine Welch – Alaska hatcheries again make a huge contribution to salmon catches. More after this -- Halibut and black cod buyers and sellers: simplify your sales online from one location at the Seafood Auction. Visit www.seafoodauction.net The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute provides digital and print marketing materials to the Alaska seafood industry. Find access to thousands of stunning photos, high quality video footage, and sales tools at www.alaskaseafood.org. Last year, nearly 31 million salmon that got their start in Alaska hatcheries were caught in commercial fisheries, or 27% of the statewide harvest of mostly pinks and chums.. The dockside value of $69 million made up 23% of the total salmon value. Overall, the 2020 hatchery return was 34 million fish fell short of the forecast of 52 million fish. That’s according to the annual salmon enhancement report by the Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game. There are 30 hatcheries producing salmon in Alaska, of which 26 are operated by private, nonprofits funded primarily from saled of a portion of the returns, called cost recovery. Eleven are state owned and operated at no cost to the state. There also are two state-run sport fish hatcheries, one research hatchery operated by NOAA Fisheries , and one hatchery operated by the Metlakatla Indian tribe. At Prince William Sound, where six hatcheries operate, about 15 million hatchery salmon were harvested in 2020, worth about $27 million at the docks, or 67% of the total value for the region. That included 90% of the chum, 70% of the pinks and 72% of the sockeye salmon. At Southeast Alaska, 14 hatcheries operate at northern and southern regions. Last year, under four million hatchery salmon were caught, accounting for 45% of the total harvest and 52% of the value to fishermen of $18 million. Hatcheries contributed 96% of the region’s chums and 58% of cohos. Two hatcheries operate at Kodiak where last year nearly 5 million hatchery salmon were harvested worth roughly $5 million, or 11% of the total dockside value. Nearly all of those fish were pinks. The three hatcheries at Cook Inlet produced just under 200,000 salmon valued at $585,000 or 6.9% of the region’s total to fishermen. Sockeye salmon contributed the most at $421,000, followed by pink salmon at $164,000. Alaska’s hatcheries released 1.7 billion juvenile salmon in 2020 and are projecting a return this year of nearly 66 million fish. Find links at www.alaskafishradio.com and on Facebook and Twitter. Fish Radio is also brought to you by OBI Seafood -- an Alaska corporation proudly supporting Alaska’s coastal communities and the Alaskans who depend on fishing for their livelihoods and culture. In Kodiak, I’m Laine Welch. https://www.seafoodnews.com/Story/1194963/Hatcheries-Again-Make-Huge-Contribution-to-Alaska-Salmon-Catch Environment/Science Scientists push for joint effort to better understand Pacific salmon trends Seafood Source by Ivan Stupachenko - March 23, 2021 Forecasting models used to determine stocks and expected landings of Pacific salmon have been rendered obsolete by climate change, and a global effort is needed to update them, a conference of leading marine scientists has concluded. https://www.seafoodsource.com/news/supply-trade/scientists-push-for-joint-effort-to-better-understand-of-salmon-trends Labeling and Marketing It’s 'back to the future' for AK’s oldest industry: canned salmon! Fis.com by Laine Welch - March 24, 2021 Sales continue to soar as Americans opt for healthy ingredients. Canning salmon in Alaska started in the 1870s and by the early 20th century, it was the state’s largest industry, generating 80% of the territorial tax revenues. Its position then in the state economy is one that oil enjoys today. https://seafood.media/fis/worldnews/worldnews.asp?l=e&country=0&special=&monthyear=&day=&id=112068&ndb=1&df=0 FYI’s Talk of The Rock: The Return of ComFish with Sarah Phillips KMXT by Dylan Simard - March 23, 2021 Surmounting a variety of hurdles associated with the pandemic, ComFish Alaska is back this year starting next week. Sarah Philips of the Kodiak Chamber of Commerce gave KMXT’s Dylan Simard a run down on how the event would work this year. https://kmxt.org/2021/03/talk-of-the-rock-the-return-of-comfish-with-sarah-phillips/ PFMC: Notice of availability: Salmon Preseason Report II (March 22, 2021) Pacific Fishery Management Council - March 23, 2021 The following was released by the Pacific Fishery Management Council: The following document has been posted to the Council’s website: Preseason Report II: Proposed Alternatives and Environmental Assessment Part 2 for 2021 Ocean Salmon Fishery Regulations (Published March 2021) https://www.savingseafood.org/news/council-actions/pfmc-notice-of-availability-salmon-preseason-report-ii-march-22-2021/ White House appoints former NOAA leader Jane Lubchenco to key climate change role Saving Seafood by Andrew Freedman, The Washington Post - March 23, 2021 The White House has appointed Jane Lubchenco, a well-known marine scientist at Oregon State University and former head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, to a high-level position coordinating climate and environmental issues within its Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). https://www.savingseafood.org/news/washington/white-house-appoints-former-noaa-leader-jane-lubchenco-to-key-climate-change-role/

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