Alaska/Pacific Coast Fleet Reports Slow Fishing, Big Crab, As Red King Crab Fishery Trends Toward Closure KUCB by Laura Kraegel - November 19, 2019 Next fall, the Bristol Bay red king crab fishery could face its first closure in 25 years. This season, the 54-vessel fleet has reported slow, spotty fishing, and the stock continues to show signs of decline. The current quota — 3.8 million pounds — is the lowest since the fishery was rationalized in 2005. https://www.kucb.org/post/fleet-reports-slow-fishing-big-crab-red-king-crab-fishery-trends-toward-closure#stream/0 NOAA expands seafloor protection off West Coast E&E News reporter Greenwire by Rob Hotakainen - November 19, 2019 More than 140,000 square miles of seafloor along the West Coast will be protected from bottom trawling under a plan finalized by NOAA today. https://www.eenews.net/stories/1061592367 Environment/Science NOAA announces grants for restoration projects Cordova Times - November 19, 2019 NOAA Fisheries seeking proposals for a total of $4 million in 2020 grants to be awarded for coastal and marine habitat restoration projects. https://www.thecordovatimes.com/2019/11/19/noaa-announces-grants-for-restoration-projects/ Federal Register Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Cod by Catcher Vessels Greater Than or Equal to 50 Feet Length Overall Using Hook-and-Line Gear in the Central Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska A Rule by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on 11/19/2019 NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific cod by catcher vessels greater than or equal to 50 feet length overall (LOA) using hook-and-line gear in the Central Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the 2019 Pacific cod total allowable catch apportioned to catcher vessels greater than or equal to 50 feet LOA using hook-and-line gear in the Central Regulatory Area of the GOA. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2019/11/19/2019-24983/fisheries-of-the-exclusive-economic-zone-off-alaska-pacific-cod-by-catcher-vessels-greater-than-or Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; Fisheries Off West Coast States; Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery; Pacific Fishery Management Plan; Amendment 28 A Rule by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on 11/19/2019 In this rule NMFS implements Amendment 28 to the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan, changing closed areas that affect commercial vessels fishing with bottom contacting gear in Federal waters off of Washington, Oregon, and California under the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan. The final rule establishes new and revised areas closed to bottom trawling to conserve and protect Pacific coast groundfish essential fish habitat, and re-open areas that were closed to bottom trawling to rebuild previously-overfished groundfish stocks. Combined, these two changes increase protections for groundfish essential fish habitat and provide additional flexibility to participants fishing with bottom trawl gear in the groundfish trawl rationalization program. Amendment 28 also closes deep-water areas off the coast of California to bottom contacting gear to protect deep-water habitats, including deep-sea corals, under fishery management plan discretionary provisions in the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2019/11/19/2019-24684/magnuson-stevens-act-provisions-fisheries-off-west-coast-states-pacific-coast-groundfish-fishery FYI’s Alaska Airlines cancels Unalaska reservations through May 2020; existing tickets to be rebooked with Ravn KUCB by Hope McKenney - November 15, 2019 After weeks of confusion over the validity of tickets, Alaska Airlines has canceled all existing flight reservations to and from Unalaska through May 31, 2020. https://www.alaskapublic.org/2019/11/15/alaska-airlines-cancels-reservations-through-may-2020-existing-tickets-to-be-rebooked-with-ravn/
Ann Owens Pacific Seafood Processors Association Office Manager 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.