Wednesday, May 4, 2022

Alaska Alaska gears up for a profitable 2022 salmon season National Fisherman by Charlie Ess - May 4, 2022 Alaska's up-and-coming salmon crop heads toward the rivers in the weeks ahead. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game put out its forecast earlier this month with a projected harvest of 160.5 million fish. That's for all five species, and if the predictions come true sockeye salmon will dominate the mix with a harvest of 74 million. Pink salmon returns have been weaker in even-numbered years and will come in at second place with 67.2 million, and chums are next in the lineup with 15.4 million. Cohos will tally up to around 3.5 million. Alaska's chinook shortage continues with only 310,000 on tap for this year. https://www.nationalfisherman.com/alaska-gears-up-for-a-profitable-salmon-season Choosing Winners and Losers in Alaska’s Crab Fishery A quota system implemented in 2005 has meant economic and social trade-offs. Hakai Magazine by Tim Lydon - May 2, 2022 Managing commercial fishing activity is a complicated job, one in which every small decision can have far-reaching consequences. Whether to regulate fishing based on season, area, or gear type, and whether to allot quotas for fishing activity—and if so, how many, and to whom?—are all decisions prone to triggering unexpected repercussions. https://hakaimagazine.com/news/choosing-winners-and-losers-in-alaskas-crab-fishery/ Labor market remains tough as Alaska pollock producers head in to lucrative "B" season 'We’re working on our crew-up plans, and it's harder to find crew lately, even harder than during COVID,' one fishing executive told IntraFish. Intrafish by Rachel Sapin - May 2, 2022 https://www.intrafish.com/whitefish/labor-market-remains-tough-as-alaska-pollock-producers-head-in-to-lucrative-b-season/2-1-1209798 *Subscription Required West Coast West Coast Fishermen, Processors Stage Rally to Promote Seafood Industry in Oregon SeafoodNews - May 4, 2022 Offshore wind is imminent, especially given the gold rush on the East Coast and Oregon fishermen and processors are taking their pro-fishing message to the streets. According to the Protect US Fishermen Facebook post advertising the event, the May 10 rally at the Coos Bay Boardwalk in Coos Bay, Ore., will "celebrate the West Coast fishing industry and all it contributes to resilient coastal communities. As the federal government and western states fast-track offshore wind energy development, we must ensure that current ocean users and stakeholders have a meaningful seat at the table." The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management in April announced two call areas off Southern Oregon, one off Coos Bay, one off Brookings (a third call area off Bandon was eliminated). The combined areas total 1,811 square miles. BOEM has stated the agency starts with larger call areas to gauge developers' interest and the interest of other ocean users, then winnows them down to smaller "wind energy areas." However, "The current call areas off Oregon contain some of the most productive fishing grounds for state and federal fisheries, contributing millions of dollars to local economies. These fisheries support tens of thousands of Oregon jobs in rural communities and they are critical to food security." The May 10 rally will host presenters speaking about the importance of sport and commercial fisheries in Oregon, with other local speakers. The rally will be followed by a parade walk down Front Street, bordering the bay, to the Coos History Museum for an outdoor seafood barbecue. The rally coincides with an offshore wind developer "fly-in" hosted by the Pacific Ocean Energy Trust, Oregon Coast Energy Alliance Network and the South Coast Development Council. The three groups will host tours of the local area for potential offshore wind developers. The rally and seafood event, organized by several organizations including the West Coast Seafood Processors Association, Midwater Trawlers Cooperative, Oregon Trawl Commission, Shrimp Producers Marketing Cooperative, West Coast Pelagic Conservation Group and a number of independent fishermen, was designed to show the community and Oregon "the intrinsic link between the seafood industry and the fabric of our coastal communities." https://www.seafoodnews.com/Story/1224977/West-Coast-Fishermen-Processors-Stage-Rally-to-Promote-Seafood-Industry-in-Oregon Politics House Passes Sullivan’s American Fisheries Advisory Committee Act WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), a member of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, welcomed House passage this week of S. 497, the American Fisheries Advisory Committee Act, bipartisan legislation he introduced to create an industry-led committee to assist in the administration of fisheries marketing, research, and development grants. The bill was cosponsored by Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), and Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.). The legislation now heads to the President’s desk. https://www.sullivan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/house-passes-sullivans-american-fisheries-advisory-committee-act National Recommended 2022 Species Recovery Grants Projects NOAA Fisheries has recommended $6.2 million in funding for 12 new projects and 13 ongoing projects. NOAA Fisheries - April 29, 2022 NOAA Fisheries is recommending roughly $6.2 million in funding for state and tribal projects through its Species Recovery Grants Program. Around $3.6 million in funding is proposed for 12 new awards to eight states, a territory, and one federally recognized tribe. Another $2.6 million will support the continuation of 13 multi-year projects that were approved in prior grant cycles. https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/recommended-2022-species-recovery-grants-projects FYI’s Focus on fish tech National Fisherman by Paul Molyneaux - May 2, 2022 A Seafood Harvesters of America survey found that fishermen are looking for improvements in engine efficiency, including hybrid electric vessels such as the Norwegian longliner Geir, launched in 2020. HP Holmeset photo. https://www.nationalfisherman.com/national-international/focus-on-fish-tech Bering Select™ Alaskan Cod Liver Oil Attains Sustainable Certification From Responsible Fisheries Management Group Kosher and Marine Stewardship Council Certified Omega-3 Ingredients Globe Newswire by Bering Select - May 3, 2022 DUTCH HARBOR, Alaska, May 3, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bering Select, manufacturers of wild caught Alaskan cod and salmon derived omega-3 ingredients, has announced the attainment of Alaskan Responsible Fisheries Management (RFM). Alaska RFM, is benchmarked by the Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative and aligned with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries, the most comprehensive set of international standards and best practices for wild fisheries. https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2022/05/03/2434643/0/en/Bering-Select-Alaskan-Cod-Liver-Oil-Attains-Sustainable-Certification-From-Responsible-Fisheries-Management-Group.html 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.