Wednesday, March 31, 2021

Alaska By plane, boat and man basket, COVID-19 vaccines flow to Alaska’s Aleutian seafood workers Seattle Times by Zaz Hollander, Anchorage Daily News - March 27, 2021 Thousands of Alaska seafood workers are getting vaccinated for COVID-19 three months after outbreaks swept through Aleutian plants, shuttering some just as the lucrative Bering Sea fishing season began. https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/health/by-plane-boat-and-man-basket-covid-19-vaccines-flow-to-alaskas-aleutian-seafood-workers/ West Coast A Look at the Impact of COVID-19 on West Coast Seafood Processors, Key Species Urner Barry by Ryan Doyle - March 29, 2021 The West Coast Seafood Processors Association (WCSPA) provided insight into the impacts the COVID-19 pandemic has had on some key west coast species and processors. For many seafood species, the restaurant market is key. COVID has led to many eateries limiting capacity or sticking to takeout and delivery models, forcing a lot of seafood into freezers. This has been the case with an otherwise productive Pink shrimp species. “Pink shrimp is a restaurant favorite product due to its versatility, but pandemic restrictions on restaurants over months resulted in a big drop in foodservice demand,” the WCSPA noted. Next up, Pacific hake (whiting) has faced logistical challenges and lack of export markets. With surplus inventory, costs have risen as product remains in cold storage. Here’s the impact of COVID on the Pacific rockfish species, per the WCSPA: “Rockfish sales have historically focused on foodservice, but restaurant closures and seating capacity limitations have caused substantial disruptions to restaurant and foodservice markets. Average boat prices in 2020 were 21% lower than in 2019 in Oregon.” For Dungeness fishermen and processors selling live crab to China, the coronavirus was another hiccup. In January 2020, the industry lost access to the market after China restricted live animal imports and once the virus was discovered in Wuhan, even more restrictions were added. The WCSPA also broke down impacts on seafood processors. Of course, the nationwide restaurant closures hit seafood hard; as did logistical issues including trucking challenges and access to labor. In early March, the WCSPA highlighted the overall impact of the pandemic on processors and fishermen alike but remained hopeful as 2021 continues with the vaccine rollout and reopening of restaurants. “We anticipate demand for seafood to increase in 2021 as more vaccines are made available to the public and the country begins to re-open. However, this process will be slow. Supply chains will remain disrupted, and some markets will take years to fully recover,” Steele added. “Unfortunately for the seafood sector, the economic impacts of this pandemic will be experienced for quite some time still.” https://www.seafoodnews.com/Story/1195342/A-Look-at-the-Impact-of-COVID-19-on-West-Coast-Seafood-Processors-Key-Species Oregon seafood company urging all employees to get COVID vaccine The industry was hit hard with outbreaks in 2020. KGW by Pat Dooris - March 30, 2021 PORTLAND, Oregon — A major Oregon seafood company is moving quickly to get its workers vaccinated against COVID-19 now that they are eligible. https://www.kgw.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/vaccine/oregon-seafood-company-urging-all-employees-to-get-covid-vaccine/283-ba3926a3-8fe0-4338-bad5-b5b9268a966e National 5 Things You Should Know About Sustainable Seafood The United States is recognized as a global leader in sustainable seafood, because we rely on strong science, responsive management, and enforced compliance. NOAA Fisheries - March 30, 2021 In the United States, sustainable seafood is not only a possibility, it’s our priority. Fish, shellfish, and marine algae are renewable resources—they can reproduce and replenish their populations naturally. That means we can sustainably harvest fish within certain limits without depleting their populations. Fishery management is the process of using science to determine these limits—catching some fish while leaving some to reproduce and replace the fish that are caught. The United States is a global leader in seafood sustainability. https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/5-things-you-should-know-about-sustainable-seafood Environment/Science Climate Change Raises Risk of Prey Mismatch for Young Cod in Alaska New research provides early warning indicators to help ensure the sustainability of economically valuable cod facing climate stress. NOAA Fisheries - March 29, 2021 For a young Pacific cod, first feeding is a life-or-death moment. Cod larva are nourished by a yolk sac after they hatch. Once the yolk sac is depleted, they must find food within days in order to survive. If there is no prey available during that critical window for first feeding, young fish face starvation. https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/climate-change-raises-risk-prey-mismatch-young-cod-alaska Federal Register Fisheries of the Economic Exclusive Zone Off Alaska; Groundfish Fishery by Non-Rockfish Program Catcher Vessels Using Trawl Gear in the Western and Central Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska A Rule by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on 03/31/2021 NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for groundfish, other than pollock, by non-Rockfish Program catcher vessels using trawl gear in the Western and Central Regulatory Areas of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the 2021 Chinook salmon prohibited species catch limit established for non-Rockfish Program catcher vessels using trawl gear and directed fishing for groundfish, other than pollock, in the Western and Central Regulatory Areas of the GOA. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/03/31/2021-06560/fisheries-of-the-economic-exclusive-zone-off-alaska-groundfish-fishery-by-non-rockfish-program FYI A new Netflix Original titled, Seaspiracy, premiered 24 March. In an effort to help reinforce considerations and dialog based on appropriate scientific rigor and facts, we will be highlighting several blogs from www.sustainablefisheries-uw.org over the next several days. Here is one: SustainableFisheries-UW Blog: Fisheries in 2048 In 2006, a paper made a projection that all fisheries would be collapsed by the year 2048. The projection was refuted by dozens of follow up papers, and the original authors have moved passed it. However, the apocalyptic sentiment and easy-to-remember year has helped the story live on in the mainstream media. To clear up any confusion: the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) estimates that 67% of fisheries are sustainable contributing about 82% of consumed seafood. The 2048 projection is not scientifically accepted and should stop being cited. Full blog here: https://sustainablefisheries-uw.org/fisheries-2048/ 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. 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.