Saving Seafood

Alaska Files to Defend Salmon Fisheries in Southeast Alaska

March 17, 2021 — The State of Alaska has moved to intervene in a federal case that threatens state management of Alaska’s salmon fisheries.

The Wild Fish Conservancy, a conservation organization based in Washington state, claims that Alaska’s management of fisheries under the Pacific Salmon Treaty threatens the survival of several salmon stocks in Washington and Oregon, and the endangered Southern Resident Killer Whales that depend on them.

The lawsuit seeks to shut down all salmon fisheries in the federal waters off the coast of Southeast Alaska.

Read the full story at KINY

Alaska’s salmon harvest for 2021 is projected to be a big one

March 17, 2021 — Alaska’s salmon harvest for 2021 is projected to be a big one, with total catches producing a haul that could be 61% higher than last year, due mostly to an expected surge of pinks.

Fishery managers are predicting a statewide catch topping 190 million fish compared to 118.3 million in 2020. The breakdown by species includes 46.6 million sockeye salmon (a 203,000 increase), 3.8 million cohos (1.4 million higher), 15.3 million chums (6.7 million more), 296,000 Chinook (up by 4,000) and 124.2 million pink salmon (a 63.5 million increase).

In its report Run Forecasts and Harvest Projections for 2021 Alaska Salmon Fisheries and Review of the 2020 Season, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game provides breakdowns for all species by region.

Along with the projected 49% increase in pink salmon catches, Bristol Bay will again rule the day with sockeye runs to the region’s nine river systems expected to exceed 51 million fish and a harvest of 36.35 million reds, 13% higher than the 10 year average.

Read the full story at the Anchorage Daily News

ALASKA: Copper River Forecast Still Off from Historical Returns

March 15, 2021 — State research biologists expect the famed Copper River salmon fishery to rebound from what was nearly a lost season in 2020, but runs for the river’s high-value species are still expected to fall well short of historical averages.

Just more than 1.3 million sockeye are projected to return to the Copper River this year for a corresponding allowable commercial harvest of 672,000 fish, according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game‘s 2021 Prince William Sound and Copper River Salmon Forecast.

Read the full story at Seafood News

ALASKA: Proposal for state buyback of Cook Inlet setnet permits advances in Legislature

March 12, 2021 — Legislation aimed at easing tensions and fishing pressure in one of the state’s most popular fisheries is already on the move this session after dying in the COVID-shortened session last year.

Without objection, the Senate Resources Committee advanced Sen. Peter Micciche’s Senate Bill 29 to the Finance Committee March 8; the bill authorizes the state to buy back nearly half of the upper Cook Inlet setnet permits on the Kenai Peninsula from any members.

Micciche, a Soldotna Republican who was also selected Senate President earlier this year, said during a March 3 Resources hearing that the plan for the state to voluntarily repurchase permits from East Side Cook Inlet setnetters was initially drafted by a group of sport anglers and commercial harvesters “who have struggled to work together for many years and now feel like they have a solution moving forward.”

Resources chair Sen. Josh Revak, R-Anchorage, noted that public testimony on SB 29 generated nearly 30 mentions of support, primarily from East Side setnetters, and no opposition, which was a contrast from prior attempts to move similar legislation.

“We’re finally at the end of our rope. Fishing families that have been fishing the East Side of Cook Inlet for generations are at the end of their rope,” Micciche said to the committee. “We want some of those fishing families to remain viable and give those that choose to be bought out an opportunity to move to other fisheries or to retrain for another line of work.”

Read the full story at the Anchorage Daily News

Alaska Fishermen Support Regan’s Confirmation as EPA Administrator and Murkowski’s Endorsement

March 12, 2021 — Yesterday’s confirmation of Michael Regan to head up the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was hailed as a win for Alaska’s fishermen, due in part to EPA’s pivotal authority over Pebble Mine.

The Salmon Habitat Information Program (SHIP) issued a statement yesterday praising the bipartisan support of his confirmation. The vote was 66 – 34 in the Senate.

Read the full story at Seafood News

ALASKA: 2021 Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association Board Seat Candidates

March 12, 2021 — The following was released by the Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association:

There are two open Board seats in this year’s election. A total of four members have been nominated and qualified as Board Seat Candidates:

Seat B (Alaska Resident Seat):

  • Tim Cook

  • George Wilson, Jr.

Seat E (Non-Alaska Resident Seat):

  • Larry Christensen

  • Michael Jackson

Candidate statements can be found on our website (LINK). Questionnaire answers from Candidates will be posted to the same link later this month.

BBRSDA Board members are elected to three-year terms (this year’s open seats will be up for re-election in 2024). Ballots will be mailed out to BBRSDA members in early April and election results will be posted to the BBRSDA website no later than May 13, 2021. See the Elections page for more information about the 2021 BBRSDA Board Seat Election timeline. BBRSDA members will also be able to submit write-in votes in this year’s election.

JOELLE HALL: Alaskans need answers on Copper River Seafoods investigation

March 11, 2021 — As the president of the Alaska AFL-CIO, Alaska’s largest labor organization, my responsibility is to fight for workers’ rights, whether they belong to a union or not.

Protecting workers’ health and safety has been at the forefront of our work during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Recent media reports have uncovered that Commissioner of Labor Tamika Ledbetter blocked nearly $450,000 in proposed fines against a seafood plant that willfully violated COVID-19 workplace safety standards and was hostile with public health officials from the State of Alaska and the Municipality of Anchorage.

The question is, why?

Were the violations mild and isolated, causing them to fall through the cracks of an overburdened department?

Read the full opinion piece at the Anchorage Daily News

NPRB Seeking Fishing Industry Representative Nominations. Deadline to submit is April 15th

March 11, 2021 — The following was released by the North Pacific Research Board:

The North Pacific Research Board is seeking nominations to fill the twentieth seat on the Board. This seat represents the interests of the fishing industry and becomes available on June 1, 2021 for a three-year term. The fishing industry seat is nominated by the Board and subject to approval and appointment by the Secretary of Commerce.

The North Pacific Research Board was created by Congress to recommend marine research activities to the U.S. Secretary of Commerce, to be supported by earnings of the Environmental Improvement and Restoration Fund. NPRB promotes a comprehensive science program of the highest caliber to provide a better understanding of the North Pacific, Bering Sea, and Arctic Ocean ecosystems and their fisheries. The Board gives priority to cooperative research projects that are designed to address pressing fishery management or marine ecosystem information needs.

Enabling legislation defines the membership of NPRB to include ten ex-officio members representing various agencies and organizations, nine members that are nominated by the governors of the states of Alaska, Washington, and Oregon, and the twentieth member who is nominated by the Board itself and is appointed by the Secretary of Commerce. This twentieth member represents fishing interests, is appointed for a non-renewable three-year term, and serves on the NPRB Executive Committee.

The Board generally meets twice each year (spring and fall). In the annual round of activities, board members determine the content and amount of funding available for annual requests for proposals (RFPs) as well as design and select integrated ecosystem research programs, long-term monitoring programs, and graduate student research awards. The Board is assisted by a Science Panel, an Advisory Panel, and a small staff. While there is no pay associated with serving on the Board, expenses for travel, food, and lodging are covered.

The following criteria will be used by the Board in making a selection from among nominees for the fishing industry seat:

  • Knowledge or experience regarding commercial fishing, processing, or marketing of fish in one or more commercial fisheries off Alaska;
  • Knowledge of or experience in management, conservation, and stewardship of natural resources, including related interactions with industry, government bodies, academic institutions, and public agencies;
  • Experience in a state or regional organization whose members participate in an Alaska fishery;
  • Experience serving as a member of the Alaska Board of Fisheries, North Pacific Fishery Management Council, NPRB, or their associated committees;
  • Knowledge or experience regarding marine research organizations and activities off Alaska; and
  • Minimum potential for conflict of interest in funding decisions of the Board.

Read the full release here

ROBERT VANDERMARK & LINDSAY LAYLAND: United we stand against Pebble Mine

March 10, 2021 — President Joe Biden has the perfect opportunity to make good on his promise to unite our ideologically fractured country by moving quickly to preserve Bristol Bay, Alaska, one of our nation’s greatest natural and cultural treasures. Bipartisan support for this issue makes it a popular and easy win early in his presidency. And on top of that, protecting Bristol Bay supports thousands of American jobs and promotes food security both domestically and internationally during these difficult times.

Pebble Limited Partnership, a subsidiary of a Canadian mineral exploration and development company, is seeking to extract copper, gold, and molybdenum from Bristol Bay, which could permanently damage more than 100 miles of rivers and streams and 2,200 acres of wetlands in the surrounding area.

The Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and independent technical experts have all determined that even without an accident or a catastrophic event, the Pebble Mine would destroy critical fish habitat and aquatic resources in the near pristine watershed. Bristol Bay needs federal protection to forever preserve this unique ecosystem from the potential harm this mine would inflict.

Wildlife from belugas to eagles to brown bears inhabits this region, but the economic and cultural heart of this area is salmon. Bristol Bay’s annual wild sockeye salmon runs are the largest on Earth. The area supports a $1.5 billion annual commercial fishery, creates 14,000 jobs in fishing and tourism, and produces more than half of the world’s supply of wild sockeye.

Read the full opinion piece at National Fisherman