Alaska
IPHC Media Release 2020-030 A Resounding Success - Completion of the IPHC Fishery-Independent Setline Survey (FISS) International Pacific Halibut Commission - September 24, 2020 SEATTLE – The IPHC has successfully completed its 2020 Fishery-Independent Setline Survey (FISS) with the last hooks out of the water on 9 September and final offloads taking place on 10 September 2020. https://iphc.int/library/documents/post/iphc-media-release-2020-030-a-resounding-success-completion-of-the-iphc-fishery-independent-setline-survey-fiss West Coast REPORT: "Major Outbreak" of COVID-19 at Pacific Seafood's Warrenton Plant Urner Barry by Amanda Buckle - September 25, 2020 Clatsop County, Oregon's Public Health Department is reporting a "major outbreak" at Pacific Seafood's Warrenton Plant. According to a news release put out by the county, 77 out of the plant's 159-member night shift tested positive for the illness. "The Oregon Health Authority is taking the lead in arranging for quarantine of the affected individuals, and conducting tracing of family and other contacts of those workers," the Clatsop County Public Health Department wrote in a press release Thursday. "The agency is also arranging to test the members of the plant's day shift Thursday and Friday." The news of the outbreak comes less than a week after Clatsop County reported six workers at the Warrenton plant testing positive for COVID-19. Five of the new cases are part of the nine new local cases that the Clatsop County Public Health Department reported on Friday. According to The Astorian, the sixth case is of a worker that lives in Pacific County. Pacific Seafood released their COVID-19 preparedness plan early on in the pandemic. The plan highlighted the safety actions that the company was taking to ensure that they would be able to continue operating amid the coronavirus pandemic. Measures included doubling the amount of sanitizing and cleaning protocols in their facilities, as well as doubling their regular cleaning and disinfection of common spaces and "high touch" workspace surfaces. Employees were educated on prevention best practices, including washing hands several times throughout the day, as well as informed that they must stay home if they, or someone in their household, has any of the COVID-19 symptoms. But despite their best efforts to keep the virus out, the Warrenton plant reported their first case of COVID-19 in early May. At the time the company had temporarily shut down to undergo "extensive professional sanitation cleaning." Two additional cases at the Warrenton plant were reported in July, and about two weeks ago another case was confirmed. https://www.seafoodnews.com/Story/1181407/REPORT-Major-Outbreak-of-COVID-19-at-Pacific-Seafoods-Warrenton-Plant International Coast Guard Has New Plan For Combatting IUU Fishing Fishermen's News - September 23, 2020 U.S. Coast Guard leadership has released a new strategy for combatting illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, a global problem both on the high seas and in areas of national jurisdiction. Admiral Karl L. Schultz, commandant of the Coast Guard, said that as a recognized world leader in maritime safety, security and environmental stewardship the Coast Guard has a responsibility to help build a coalition of partners willing to identify and address IUU fishing bad actors and model responsible global maritime behavior. http://fnonlinenews.blogspot.com/2020/09/coast-guard-has-new-plan-for-combatting.html RRPK Has No Concerns Regarding Expulsion From Association of Pollock Producers SeafoodNews.com by Eugene Gerden - September 24, 2020 Russian Fishery (RRPK), one of the country’s largest fish producers and processors, has confirmed its plans to apply to the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) and other law enforcement agencies in Russia to protect rights, which were damaged after its expulsion from the local Association of Pollock Producers (ADM). As the company said in an exclusive statement, "It currently continues preparations of appropriate appeals, that will be sent to relevant Russian state bodies shortly." RRPK has also said that it does not depend on ADM in its work, planning and conducting its export and other activities independently. The company "sees only the risks of revising the MSC certificate in connection with the expulsion from the association. In this regard, the RRPK plans to obtain a certificate directly by the companies belonging to the group." Last week Russian media reported that the company was expelled from the Association due to its recent proposal of the reform in the domestic fishing sector. Such a proposal was sent in a form of the letter to the Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin in July. In this letter, the company said that despite the "optimistic dynamics" of catch, the industry's indicators remain low, while the key problem is the outdated fleet. To improve the situation, RRPK proposed to provide the capacity of the fleet under construction with investment quotas by 100% and to limit, from 2034, the use of quotas in the exclusive economic zone of Russia by ships built in the Russian Federation, whose age does not exceed 30 years. In addition, the RRPK advocated new auctions for quotas for the most valuable resources (crab, shrimp, etc.) and toughening the criteria for applying the single agricultural tax regime and a preferential rate of collection for the use of resources. The Rosrybolovstvo and the Ministry of Agriculture did not support the ideas of the RRPK. https://www.seafoodnews.com/Story/1181337/RRPK-Has-No-Concerns-Regarding-Expulsion-From-Association-of-Pollock-Producers Opinion Dunleavy and coastal mayors: Job well done on a difficult season National Fisherman by Gov. Mike Dunleavy, Mayor Clay Koplin, Mayor Rodney Dial, Mayor Dan O’Hara - September 24, 2020 Throughout the covid-19 pandemic, Alaska has faced its share of monumental challenges: The testing of all incoming travelers, providing relief for devastated tourism businesses, creating a new unemployment program from scratch. https://www.nationalfisherman.com/dunleavy-and-coastal-mayors-job-well-done-on-a-difficult-season?fbclid=IwAR07JUqmyIspl6M_UphaEHjmTJWZTOlPjvtzvaZnwF-CbEy-Y9No_CI56lE *Reposting, includes full access to article.
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