Alaska Oil and fishing jobs mean people are still flying into Anchorage, but there’s lots of elbow room on planes Anchorage Daily News by Michelle Theriault Boots - May 4, 2020 On one Saturday in April, the Anchorage airport was the world’s busiest. It wasn’t people moving through Anchorage Ted Stevens International Airport. It was cargo — lots of it. https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/anchorage/2020/05/03/oil-and-fishing-jobs-mean-people-are-still-flying-into-anchorage-but-theres-lots-of-elbow-room-on-planes/ There are new health rules for fishermen arriving in Bristol Bay, but critics say there are loopholes Alaska Public Media by Isabelle Ross - May 3, 2020 Thousands of commercial fishers coming to Bristol Bay will be operating under a strict set of guidelines this season, laid out in the new mandate released last week by Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s administration. https://www.alaskapublic.org/2020/05/03/there-are-now-health-mandates-for-fishermen-arriving-in-bristol-bay-but-critics-say-there-are-loopholes/ Alaska Economic Trends May 2020 “Seasonal employment and COVID-19” , including seafood processing. [Page 6-10] https://labor.alaska.gov/trends/may20.pdf Fishermen, seafood businesses call for $1.5 billion federal covid-19 aid National Fisherman by Kirk Moore - May 5, 2020 Independent fishermen and small- to medium-sized seafood business are calling on the Trump administration and Congress to come up with an additional $1.5 billion in covid-19 emergency funding, and new investment to build community-based supply chains to feed Americans. https://www.nationalfisherman.com/national-international/fishermen-seafood-businesses-call-for-1-5-billion-federal-covid-19-aid/ West Coast West Coast Salmon, Sardine Fisheries to Receive $18 million in NMFS Disaster Funding SeafoodNews.com by Susan Chambers - May 1, 2020 At long last, some disaster relief funding is headed to the West Coast for state and tribal salmon industries and the commercial sardine industry. NMFS notified Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., this week of a more than $18 million award, which was appropriated in 2018. It is now up to the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission to distribute the funds according to state spending plans and in accordance with NMFS guidance and terms of the awards, NMFS said when notifying congressional staff. The roughly $18 million will be divvied up between: 2013 Fraser River Tribal Sockeye Salmon, Wash.; 2013 Fraser River Sockeye Salmon, Wash; 2015 Washington Tribal Coastal Coho and Pink Salmon; 2015-2016 Pacific Sardines, Calif.; 2016 Ocean Troll Tribal Coho and Chinook, Wash.; 2016 Coastal Tribal Coho Salmon; Wash.; 2016-2017 Klamath River Tribal Fall Chinook, Calif.; and 2016-2017 Klamath River Fall Chinook, Ore. and Calif. The U.S. Department of Commerce determined these fisheries were indeed fishery failures a long time ago and fishermen have been waiting to hear about any appropriations for disaster relief. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross announced on Sept. 25, 2018, that commercial fishery failures occurred between 2015 and 2017 for salmon fisheries in Washington, Oregon, and California, in addition to the sardine fishery in California. Between July 2016 and March 2018, multiple tribes and governors from Washington, Oregon, and California requested fishery disaster determinations. The Secretary, working with National Marine Fisheries Service, evaluated each request based on the available data, and found that all but one, the California red sea urchin fisher, met the requirements for a fishery disaster determination, the press release said at the time. The 2018 Consolidated Appropriations Act provided $20 million in NMFS fishery disaster assistance, according to the press release, and the Department of Commerce was determining the appropriate allocations of these funds to eligible fisheries. Many of these fisheries suffered failures related to The Blob, a period of warm water that persisted from 2014-2016. It disrupted almost all the fisheries to some extent, but hit coho salmon particularly hard. It also created ripe conditions for harmful algal blooms, including those that produce domoic acid, that affected West Coast Dungeness crab fisheries. California crab fishermen, processors and charter vessels had to delay fishing until domoic acid cleared in 2016, which took months. The Dungeness crab and rock crab fisheries were determined to be a failure in January 2017 and was awarded almost $26 million. The $18 million for several disasters is small, but should help fishermen get through some tough times -- especially now, as salmon seasons are about to start. However, the Klamath River returns were poor again, limiting fishing on the Oregon South Coast and California North Coast this year. The Klamath River fisheries in 2005-2006 were also declared a failure at the time. Then, the appropriations solely to the salmon industry was $60 million. https://www.seafoodnews.com/Story/1170259/West-Coast-Salmon-Sardine-Fisheries-to-Receive-18-million-in-NMFS-Disaster-Funding
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