Saving Seafood

NPFMC Considers Rationalizing Bering Sea Pacific Cod Fishery

March 5, 2019 — SEAFOOD NEWS — The North Pacific Fisheries Management Council is considering rationalizing the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands trawl pacific cod fishery after voting to take action on the fishery at its February meeting. A number of alternatives for management changes to the fishery have been released for public review; the council will be considering final actions during upcoming meetings.

The fishery is facing a number of issues, including decreasing stocks, an increase in participation and an increasingly shortened season. Among the actions that the council is considering to address these issues is the introduction of a catch-share system, in which quota would be allocated.

The council is also weighing up its options to address the increasing prevalence of catcher/processor vessels — also known as motherships — which is resulting in a loss of deliveries to shore-based processing facilities. The council is looking at various ways to limit the participation of certain vessels acting as motherships.

At its June 2018 meeting, the council adopted a purpose and need statement, which acknowledged recent increases of motherships and a decrease Pacific cod deliveries to shoreside processors.

“The council is concerned about the impacts of the recent increases and potential for future growth in offshore deliveries of Pacific cod to … vessels operating as motherships, and the potential impacts those increases could have on shoreside processors, communities and participating catcher vessels,” the statement reads.

The statement also notes that the race-for-fish management system has resulted in a “decreased ability to maximize the value of the fishery … negatively impacting fishery participants,” as well as discouraging fishing practices that can minimize bycatch.

“Additional entrants could exacerbate these issues and threaten the viability of the fishery,” the statement reads. “The council is considering options to improve the prosecution of the fishery, with the intent of promoting safety and increasing the value of the fishery.”

TAC for the fishery has been reduced in recent years. While the cod fishery in the gulf of Alaska has fared worse, with its TAC being cut by 80 percent, the TAC for the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands fishery was cut by nearly 50 percent last year.

At the council’s February meeting, Darral Brannan, a consultant for the NPFMC, noted that the 2019 Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands trawl Pacific cod A season was the fishery’s shortest ever.

“In 2018, the A season for the trawl CV sector closed on February eleventh. This year, the fishery closed February first. It was 12 full days of fishing. It covered 13 calendar days, but it was noon to noon,” he told the council. “It was the shortest ever A season that we’ve had.”

According to Brannan, in 2018, 18 percent of the Pacific cod from the fishery was delivered to motherships, rather than shoreside processors. Comparatively, in 2019, mothership deliveries rose to 30 percent.

The council is considering a number of different options to limit activity in the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands Pacific cod trawl fishery, which are outlined in six alternatives.

At its February meeting, the council voted on a motion to bifurcate alternatives two, three and six in order to address concerns around motherships separately from issues surrounding higher levels of participation in the fishery. (Alternative one is for the council to take no action). Alternatives two, three and six specifically address the issues with increased mothership participation in the fishery, and these have now been released for public review.

Respectively, these alternatives would involve: limiting the number of motherships that can take Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands Pacific cod deliveries; limiting the total amount of Pacific cod that can be delivered to motherships; or prohibiting certain vessels from participating in the fishery as motherships.

The council received several letters urging it to take action on this issue — including one from the Pacific Seafood Processor Association, a nonprofit trade association comprised of nine processing companies, located in 18 communities throughout Alaska. Pacific Seafood Processor Association has members that operate processing facilities in Dutch Harbor, King Cove, Sand Point, Akutan and others. The letter urged the council to expediently address the issue.

“This issue continues to have meaningful impacts for BSAI coastal communities, who rely heavily on volume fisheries like pollock and cod,” the letter states. “All of these local governments levy local raw fish taxes on the value of fish landed at local processing facilities and inshore floating processors.”

The council also received public comment requesting that it take a more mediated approach to limiting motherships.

In a letter to the council Matthew Doherty, president and CEO of United States Seafoods, which operates the catcher processor Seabreeze Alaska, argued that the Seabreeze Alaska has an “extensive history in the fishery” and that United States Seafoods depends on the ability of its catcher vessels to deliver cod offshore.

Doherty argued that the United States Seafoods has been “a good citizen” in the fishery by coordinating with other stakeholders — even suspending its operations in the Aleutian Islands cod fishery in 2018 in an attempt to aid the Adak plant’s success.

“The SEAFREEZE ALASKA’s participation in the fishery is NOT part of the ‘recent increases . . . in offshore deliveries’ noted as problematic in the Council’s purpose and need statement for this action,” the letter states. “If the Council restricts offshore cod processing, we recommend the action be narrowly focused on recent problematic changes in the fishery.”

While this item was originally scheduled for final action at the council’s June meeting, according to the most recent draft of the council’s upcoming meeting schedule, the item has been moved up to the council’s next meeting, which is in April.

The issues surrounding increasing participation in the fishery are being addressed as a separate agenda item. The council also voted on a motion to develop a scoping paper, which may be used to develop a comprehensive Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands cod trawl catcher vessel management program.

The scoping paper will analyse the possibility of introducing Pacific cod endorsements for trawlers with LLP licenses, which would rationalize the fishery.

A NPFMC Advisory Panel, which is made up of various fishery stakeholders, offered the council both arguments for and against this action. Meetings from the AP’s February meeting noted that some of the panel argued that a catch share program would the best solution for protecting stock levels and giving harvesters, processors and their communities the chance to maximize the value of the fishery.

Other fisheries have been rationalized in the past, including rockfish in the Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands crab.

“The problems currently being faced by the BSAI trawl CV cod fishery are similar in nature to problems previously faced by other fisheries that now operate under a catch share program,” the AP minutes state. “The multiple successes achieved under these varying programs established in the North Pacific now lead the participants in the BSAI cod trawl fishery to believe that the development of a cooperative-based program for BSAI Pacific cod is the best solution.”

However, not all of the panel was onboard. The minutes state that a catch share program for Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands trawl cod may make it harder to enter the fishery.

“Catch share programs that allocate quota to LLPs can make access to the fishery more expensive for new entrants and have potentially negative impacts on communities,” the minutes state.

Some public comments reflected a concern that, should the council establish a catch share program in the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands fishery, it could negatively impact other fisheries. Among them was a letter from Patrick O’Donnell, the owner and operator of the F/V Caravelle, a trawler homeported in Kodiak. O’Donnell expressed concern that an action on the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands fishery could have an impact on the Gulf of Alaska cod fishery and requested that the council postpone further action until it can ensure that Gulf of Alaska fishermen wouldn’t be affected.

“GOA trawlers have asked for a catchshare management plan, with tools to better manage bycatch in the Gulf, and I would like to see that program move forward at the same time as any changes to the (BS cod fishery),” the letter states. “Any action that moves the cod TLAS fishery closer to a rationalized program has the potential to create spill-over effects in the GOA.

“It will create advantages for boats that have a guaranteed share in the BS, and give them an incentive to race for fish in the GOA first, then go harvest their share in the Bering Sea.”

The scoping paper is scheduled for council discussion at its October meeting.

All the alternatives that the council is considering, along with staff analysis and public comments can be found on the NPFMC’s website. Those looking to provide public comment prior to the council’s April meeting can do so via the NPFMC’s online comment portal, or at the meeting itself.

This story was originally published on SeafoodNews.com, a subscription site. It is reprinted with permission.

ALASKA: Fishermen’s group calls Corps’ analysis of potential tailings dam failure at Pebble ‘woefully inadequate’

March 4, 2019 — A new study commissioned by a Bristol Bay seafood marketing group paints a doomsday scenario if the bulk tailings dam at the proposed Pebble mine ever suffered a catastrophic breach, an outcome the U.S Army Corps of Engineers has called very remote and one the mine developer has taken steps to avoid.

Billions of gallons of mud would smother valley bottoms, covering vast stretches of salmon habitat, according to an executive summary released Friday. Finely ground-up waste material from mining would travel downstream and spill into Bristol Bay more than 200 river miles from the mine site, threatening the valuable salmon fishery.

“Given the fine-grained nature of the material, it is extremely likely that these tailings would continue to Bristol Bay, where they would eventually settle out in the Nushagak River estuary,” the summary says.

Read the full story at Anchorage Daily News

Alaska lawmakers are moving away from Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s budget proposal

March 4, 2019 — Leaders of the Alaska Senate and the Alaska House of Representatives said Friday it appears there is growing support for state budget proposals that include fewer cuts than proposed by Gov. Mike Dunleavy in February.

Dunleavy’s plan to address a $1.6 billion deficit without new taxes or cuts to the Permanent Fund dividend has drawn opposition from supporters of the state’s public education system and state residents who use government services.

The governor’s proposal must be approved by the legislature to become law, but Senate President Cathy Giessel, R-Anchorage, and Speaker of the House Bryce Edgmon, I-Dillingham, say that lawmakers in each body are considering smaller cuts to the state budget, even if the Permanent Fund dividend must be reduced in response.

“We are going to cut the budget, but it’s going to look different from what’s been proposed by the governor,” said Rep. Chuck Kopp, R-Anchorage and chairman of the House Rules Committee.

Read the full story at the Anchorage Daily News

2018 Alaska Fisheries Science Center Year in Review

March 1, 2019 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

More fish come through the Alaska fishing port of Dutch Harbor than anywhere else in the Nation. In fact, Dutch Harbor and Kodiak, Alaska, are the top two U.S. fishing ports in landed volume. These same two ports rank No. 2 and No. 3 in U.S. economic value.

We collect biological, ecological, and environmental data during long-term, standardized research surveys, from fishing catches, and through other research activities. In the laboratory and in the field we study what fish and crabs eat, where they live, and how fast they grow. We input these data into sophisticated computer models to generate estimates of fish abundance (number of fish in the population), determine the potential impacts of environmental change, and recommend sustainable fishing limits. We also collect socio-economic data on fisheries and coastal communities, and other ecosystem data. Resource managers use this information to develop sound management measures ensuring healthy fisheries over the long term with ecological, economic, and socio-cultural benefits for the nation.

Our primary responsibility is to provide scientific data, analyses, and expert technical advice to marine resource managers (i.e., the NOAA Fisheries’ Alaska Regional Office, the North Pacific Fishery Management Council, the State of Alaska, the International Pacific Halibut Commission, and the Pacific Salmon Commission), Alaska tribal governments, public stakeholders, and U.S. representatives participating in international fishery and marine mammal negotiations. The work of monitoring and assessing fish, crab, and marine mammal populations, fisheries, and marine ecosystems is mandated by legislation, which includes the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the Marine Mammal Protection Act, the U.S Endangered Species Act, and the National Environmental Policy Act.

Read the full release here

Alaska’s seafood industry says the U.S.-China trade war is costing it dearly

March 1, 2019 — The trade war with China is impacting Alaska’s seafood industry. Alaska seafood exports to China have dropped by a fifth compared to last year.

Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute’s Jeremy Woodrow told the Alaska House Fisheries Committee Wednesday that the industry blames Chinese tariffs. That’s according to a recent industry survey.

“Of the members that responded back to us, 65 percent reported they had immediate lost sales from the increase of these tariffs, 50 percent reported delays in their sales, and 36 percent reported that they lost customers in China just due to these tariffs” Woodrow explained. “Another 21 percent reported that they had unanticipated costs because of the trade conflict.

Alaska sold nearly $800 million of seafood to China in 2017. Not all Alaska seafood is bound by the Chinese tariffs imposed in retaliation to the Trump administration’s own tariffs on Chinese goods. Flatfish like flounder are subject to tariffs though Alaska pink salmon processed in China and re-exported are not.

But Woodrow said poor relations between the two countries makes some Chinese buyers reluctant to buy Alaska seafood anyway. China is Alaska’s largest foreign market and Woodrow warned that finding new outlets will take time.

Read the full story at KBBI

Matt Tinning to join At-Sea Processors Association as Gilmore retires

February 28, 2019 — After 30 years with the At-Sea Processors Association (APA), Jim Gilmore, director of public affairs, will retire this summer.

The APA is a trade association representing six member companies that own and operate 16 U.S.-flag catcher/processor vessels that participate principally in the Alaska pollock fishery and U.S. West Coast Pacific whiting fishery.

Gilmore, who will retire 30 June, will be replaced by Matt Tinning, currently the associate vice president for oceans at the Environmental Defense Fund, a United States-based non-profit that pursues collaborative, market-based solutions to environmental problems.

APA currently has offices in Juneau, Alaska and Seattle, Washington, and Tinning said he will open an APA office in Washington, D.C.

Gilmore directed APA’s public affairs and corporate social responsibility programs, which helped to establish the Alaska pollock industry’s leadership position in global seafood sustainability.

For almost two decades, Gilmore has also led the Alaska pollock industry’s effort to become the largest certified sustainable fishery in the world,” APA said a press release. “By achieving and maintaining certifications of the fishery under both the Marine Stewardship Council and Alaska Responsible Fisheries Management programs, his work has solidified Alaska pollock’s reputation as one of the world’s best managed fisheries.”

Read the full story at Seafood Source

At-Sea Processors’ Gilmore Announces Retirement, New Hire Comes from Environmental Non-Profit

February 28, 2019 — The following was released by the At-Sea Processors Association:

Jim Gilmore

The At-sea Processors Association (APA) announced today that Jim Gilmore, its Director of Public Affairs, will retire June 30, 2019, after 30 years with the association. Gilmore will be replaced by Matt Tinning, the current Associate Vice President for Oceans at the Environmental Defense Fund, a prominent U.S.-based non-profit noted for pursuing collaborative, market-based solutions to environmental problems.

During his tenure at APA, Gilmore directed the organization’s public affairs and corporate social responsibility programs, which helped to establish the Alaska pollock industry’s leadership position in global seafood sustainability. Among Gilmore’s accomplishments are his work to enact the landmark American Fisheries Act, which paved the way for a catch share program for the largest U.S. fishery, the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands Alaska pollock fishery. The advent of catch share management enabled the Alaska pollock catcher/processor sector to optimize food production, further minimize fishing effects on the environment, and strengthen the fleet’s international market competitiveness. For almost two decades, Gilmore has also led the Alaska pollock industry’s effort to become the largest certified sustainable fishery in the world. By achieving and maintaining certifications of the fishery under both the Marine Stewardship Council and Alaska Responsible Fisheries Management programs, his work has solidified Alaska pollock’s reputation as one of the world’s best managed fisheries.

Matt Tinning

APA’s executive director Stephanie Madsen said, “We are very grateful to Jim for his years of staunch advocacy and unwavering commitment to strengthening the Alaska pollock industry, and we couldn’t be happier to announce Matt’s coming onboard.” Madsen continued, “Matt’s been a leader in the NGO community promoting precautionary, science-based fisheries management. We are excited to have him put his considerable talents to work at APA.”

Tinning brings over a decade’s worth of experience in the e-NGO community to his new position. Prior to his work with environmental non-profits, the Australian-born Tinning served as a Liaison Officer at the Australian Embassy in Washington, DC. He also worked on Capitol Hill on the staff of former New Mexico Senator Jeff Bingaman.

ALASKA: Bristol Bay: Back to the Pebble grind

February 28, 2019 — Alaska’s Bristol Bay salmon fishermen are once again rallying the troops to help check a juggernaut that threatens the world’s single-most productive salmon fishery.

Mining the copper and gold deposit at the headwaters of Bristol Bay’s natal sockeye streams might not be an inherently risky proposition were it not for the toxic byproduct. Based on our current best technology, toxic runoff from the mining process would be diverted to tailings ponds, which are essentially pools with dams built around them. Historically, these containment fields leak eventually.

The geography and topography of Bristol Bay complicates this plan. Any Anchorage area resident will tell you that Southwest Alaska is part of the ring of fire. After the 7.0 earthquake on Nov. 30, Anchorage area residents felt more than 6,000 aftershocks in just 30 days. That’s an average of 200 per day, or about 8 aftershocks per hour. And now, three months later, the aftershocks have not stopped.

What might the outcome be if a similar scenario hit Bristol Bay, about 250 miles from Anchorage, and thousands of aftershocks rippled through the water-laden soil containing manmade ponds of toxic sludge? Would they remain intact? Or would they twist and crumble like so many of the paved roads around Anchorage?

As long as Pebble Mine’s tailings ponds are to be built into Bristol Bay’s permeable soil in an earthquake zone, the plan may as well include a ticking clock on the health of the region’s renewable salmon resource.

Read the full story at National Fisherman

Chinese tariffs challenge Alaska seafood, new markets emerge

February 27, 2019 — Alaska’s fishing industry provides more jobs than any private sector in the state. On Tuesday, the House Special Committee on Fisheries received an update from the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute.

The tariff war with China remains a concern. The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute put a lot of effort into selling Alaska’s seafood to China, said Jeremy Woodrow, the interim executive director of the ASMI. For every $10,000 spent on marketing in China, the Alaska seafood industry gets $1 million. But with the tariff war between the U.S. and China, Woodrow said, “We are expecting big drop offs in our Chinese market.”

However, Woodrow had plenty of positive news to report. In December, U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan was able to add a provision to the Farm Bill that would require Alaska seafood pollock to be used in fish sticks in American school lunches. Previously, fish sticks in American school lunches were comprised of Russian pollock. Woodrow said this would equate to about $30 million a year. Alaska pollock makes up the bulk of the Alaska’s fishing harvest volume: 57 percent of the 5.9 billion pounds of seafood harvested in a year.

Ukraine has been a growing market for Alaska seafoods ever since the Russians placed an embargo on U.S. fish about five years ago, Woodrow said this market has been steadily growing.

Read the full story at the Juneau Empire

Alaska gov. issues gag order on state fish budget

February 27, 2019 — Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s administration has a full gag order in place at the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. All budget questions, no matter how basic, are referred to press secretary Matt Shuckerow. Likewise, queries to the many deputies and assistants at the ADF&G commissioner’s office are deferred to Shuckerow, who did not acknowledge requests for information.

“It isn’t just the media or Alaskans. Legislators are faced with that same gag order,” said Rep. Louise Stutes (R-Kodiak). “I don’t know if the administration is just trying to settle in and thinks that the Legislature is their worst enemy and they want to keep people at bay or what. Hopefully, they will realize that we have to work together. And the sooner we do it, the better relationship we’re going to have.”

Stutes, who is the majority whip in the Alaska Legislature and also chairs both the House Fisheries and Transportation committees, said “the governor has made very few appearances, and nobody can get an appointment with him.”

She confirmed that anyone who meets with Dunleavy must relinquish cell phones, Apple watches and any recording devices.

Dunleavy’s proposed budget for the state’s commercial fisheries division is $69.45 million, a $1.64 million reduction, according to Stutes’ office.

Details are sketchy, but it aims to reorganize and consolidate the Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission into the ADF&G Commercial Fisheries Division. Also, the directors of the Habitat and Subsistence divisions would be moved from ADF&G to the Office of Management and Budget.

Read the full story at the Alaska Journal of Commerce