Saving Seafood

ALASKA: Opponents pack Anchorage hearing on salmon habitat ballot measure

September 21, 2018 — A ballot initiative aimed at protecting salmon habitat is facing stiff opposition from industry groups, unions and Native corporations in Alaska. That opposition was on full display at an Anchorage hearing on the measure held this week.

As required by law, the state is holding a series of public hearings on the initiative.

Before the hearing, about a dozen demonstrators gathered to chant and wave signs saying “Vote No on 1” on a nearby street corner. The demonstration was organized by Stand for Alaska, a group formed to oppose the measure. Supporters of the ballot measure, which would toughen the state’s permitting requirements for projects built in salmon habitat, also showed up to demonstrate ahead of the hearing.

Inside, the hearing room was packed, with attendees lining the walls and spilling out into the hallway. Lt. Gov. Byron Mallott, who oversees the Alaska Division of Elections, presided over the hearing.

“Time will be very tight,” Mallott said in his opening remarks. “With the number of folks that have signed up, it looks like we will be hard-pressed to hear everyone.”

The first speaker was Stephanie Quinn-Davidson, one of the measure’s sponsors and head of the Yukon River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission. She argued that as companies pursue more large mines and oil developments in Alaska, the state needs to protect salmon runs from impacts seen in the Lower 48.

Read the full story at Alaska Public Media

Alaska pollock industry: Trump’s China tariff exceptions help the Russians

September 20, 2018 — If president Donald Trump was hoping to get a pat on the back from the Alaskan pollock industry for keeping its re-processed fillets off the list of seafood products to receive additional tariffs when imported from China, he will be sadly disappointed.

Rather, thanks to some apparent confusion over the harmonized tariff codes, the administration’s exemptions appear to help the Russian pollock industry more, advises James Gilmore, the director of public affairs for the At-Sea Processors Association (APA), one of the loudest voices for Alaska pollock producers, in an email to Undercurrent News.

“If our interpretation is correct, Alaska pollock producers face stiff tariffs in China and Russia’s ban on US seafood imports, including Alaska pollock, remains in effect,” Gilmore said. “Meanwhile, our principal international competition—Russian pollock processed in China—enjoys tariff-free access to our domestic market.”

Gilmore’s comments follow closely those made by Fedor Kirsanov, the CEO of Russian Fishery Company, one of the country’s largest pollock quota holders, who told Undercurrent the trade war is helping to boost his prices.

Read the full story at Undercurrent News

ALASKA: Relief funds for 2016 pink season slowly moving forward

September 20, 2018 — The distribution of federal fund for fishermen who got walloped by the disastrous 2016 pink salmon season inched another step forward yesterday.

Tuesday was the final day to comment on the proposed distribution plan.  Once the funds are finally released they will be administered by the Pacific States Marine Commission, which is based out of Portland. The relief funds will be distributed according to the plan being finalized now.

As it sits now, Kodiak pink salmon fishermen would receive nearly $7 million to help offset the losses sustained when pink salmon stocks crashed in the summer of 2016.

That’s roughly 22 percent of the total amount assigned to fisheries participants under the current distribution proposal for the 2016 Gulf of Alaska pink salmon disaster funds.

The bulk of the $32 million being set aside for fishermen would go to compensate those who participated in the Prince William Sound pink salmon fishery.

In all more than $56 million was appropriated by Congress to address the 2016 disaster. The money would be divvied up into four broad categories which include research, participants, municipalities and processors.

Funds for participants are based on a formula which considers ex-vessel value of losses and five-year even-year average ex-vessel value in each of seven management areas.

Read the full story at KMXT

Salmon preservation plan to impact Alaska and Canada over 10-year span

September 19, 2018 — PORTLAND, Ore. — Alaska and Canada would reduce their catch of endangered Chinook salmon in years with poor fishery returns under an agreement that spells out the next decade of cooperation between the U.S. and Canada to keep various salmon species afloat in Pacific waters.

Members of the Pacific Salmon Commission recommended a new 10-year conservation plan to the U.S. and Canadian governments Monday that would run through 2028 and involve Canada, Alaska, Washington, Oregon and a number of tribal nations in both countries.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at KTUU

 

Farm Bill provision would tilt school pollock, tuna purchases back to US

September 19, 2018 — US pollock and tuna harvesters don’t normally care much about the so-called Farm Bill, the massive, every-five-year legislation that helps to, among other things, preserve crop subsidies for American corn and soybean growers and nutrition programs for the unemployed. But they do this time.

That’s because Alaska Republican senator Dan Sullivan has placed a provision in one of the two bills now being worked out in a congressional conference committee that would force the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to more aggressively enforce the “buy American” rules required for schools to receive federal reimbursement for the meals they serve to children, including fish.

The US pollock industry maintains that strapped-for-cash school systems aren’t following those rules, resulting in some 60% of the pollock they serve to be what they claim is less expensive and inferior, twice-frozen fillets sourced originally from Russia. They support Sullivan’s change.

“We are mindful of the need to maximize the use of federal dollars in procuring fish products for school meal programs and for school districts to maximize available school lunch foods,” said the At-sea Processors Association (APA), a group that represents six seafood companies that maintain interests in or operate 16 US-flag, high-tech trawl catcher/processor vessels in the Alaska pollock fishery, in a recent statement.

“However, it is similarly important to maximize the nutritional value of school lunch meals for children and to ensure that students’ early exposure to fish products is positive in order to promote incorporating more seafood meals into diets consistent with federal dietary guidelines.”

Read the full story at Undercurrent News

 

Pollock’s dodge of US tariff could leave market open to Russia

September 18, 2018 — Another round of tariffs on Chinese goods approved by U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday may have inadvertently left the market open to Russian-sourced pollock processed in China.

The tariffs, initially proposed in July, will go into effect on 24 September and affect an additional 5,745 products from China. While initially tariffs on frozen cod and pollock were planned, lobbying efforts by industry leaders successfully kept those items off the final list.

However according to Jim Gilmore, director of public affairs for the At-sea Processors Association (APA),  the wording of the exemption for Alaska pollock may leave the U.S. market open to Russia-origin pollock that is processed in China and shipped to the U.S.

The issue, said Gilmore, is the use of the term “Alaska pollock.”

“We believe this is an anachronism of a misleading geographical indicator remaining in use.  That is, the term ‘Alaska pollock’ is used to define Russian-origin pollock as well as U.S.-origin Alaska pollock,” he said. “If we are reading the situation correctly that the [a]dministration is not distinguishing between U.S. and Russian origin pollock in excluding two HTS Code lines from tariffs, then Alaska pollock producers continue to be disadvantaged in this trade war with China.”

The specific issue, said Gilmore, has to do with two HTS Codes: 0304.75.10 and 0304.94.10. Under the decision on 17 September, the door could be open for pollock of Russian origin and processed in China to enter the U.S. duty-free using those codes.

“If our interpretation is correct, Alaska pollock producers face stiff tariffs in China and Russia’s ban on U.S. seafood imports, including Alaska pollock, remains in effect,” Gilmore said. “Meanwhile, our principal international competition – Russian pollock processed in China – enjoys tariff-free access to our domestic market.”

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Alaska salmon negotiators accept fewer ‘treaty fish’

September 18, 2018 — Alaska will see a reduced salmon allocation under a proposed salmon treaty deal with Canada. That’s according to a proposed 10-year extension of the Pacific Salmon Treaty.

For more than 30 years, the Pacific Salmon Commission has allocated salmon stocks shared between the U.S. and Canada. It’s re-negotiated every 10 years, and the latest version expires at the end of 2018.

Formal talks finished in mid-August. Now, the numbers are out: Alaska will accept a 7.5 percent reduction, compared to 12.5 percent for Canada. In Washington and Oregon, the cuts range from 5 to 15 percent.

“There’s some that would consider it to be winners and losers and I think in this case, I think everybody was equally disappointed,” said Alaska Fish and Game Deputy Commissioner Charlie Swanton, who headed Alaska’s delegation.

It’s unclear just what the reduction will mean for Alaska’s fisheries; a lot will be up to the Board of Fisheries when it meets in March. But it will certainly mean less fishing time and other conservation measures.

Read the full story at KTOO

USTR cuts cod, pollock fillets from final China tariffs list

September 18, 2018 — The US Trade Representative (USTR) has excluded frozen fillets of Alaska pollock and cod from its final list of products to be hit with 10% tariffs.

According to a statement from the USTR, the tariffs will come into play on Sept. 24 at 10%, and then go to 25% on Jan. 1, 2019.

The proposed list (which you can see here), published on July 10, at the direction of US president Donald Trump, included the following customs codes, all of which have been omitted from the final list, which you can see in full here.

This will mean that cod and pollock from Alaskan fishing companies which is sold to China and brought back to the US as fillets will not be hit with the tariffs.

The tariffs still apply to around $200 billion-worth of Chinese products, the USTR said.

Still on the list is fillets of salmon, while other salmon products are also on the list.

Imported under the HS code 0304.81.50 and described “Other frozen salmon fillets”, fillets are of farm-raised salmon and wild salmon, such as sockeye and pink salmon. This will impact Alaska’s wild salmon fishery.

Read the full story at Undercurrent News

Trump hits China with another USD 200 billion in tariffs, but Alaska gets a break

September 18, 2018 — U.S. President Donald Trump has approved another round of tariffs on an additional USD 200 billion (EUR 170.7 billion) of Chinese goods, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) announced on Monday, 17 September.

The latest round of tariffs was initially proposed in July, but through a seven-week review period, the number of items to be included in the tariffs was reduced from 6,031 to 5,745. Spared from the final list of goods subject to the tariffs were frozen cod and pollock, a victory for Alaskan seafood companies that send those items to China for processing and reexport.

Beginning 24 September, 10 percent tariffs will be levied on a wide range of goods, including most Chinese seafood entering the United States. On 1 January, 2019 – after the holiday shopping season – the tariffs will increase to 25 percent, according to a USTR announcement.

“We are taking this action today as a result of the Section 301 process that the USTR has been leading for more than 12 months,” Trump said in a statement. “After a thorough study, the USTR concluded that China is engaged in numerous unfair policies and practices relating to United States technology and intellectual property – such as forcing United States companies to transfer technology to Chinese counterparts. These practices plainly constitute a grave threat to the long-term health and prosperity of the United States economy.”

In the statement, Trump threatened an additional USD 267 billion (EUR 228 billion) in tariffs – covering practically all Chinese exports to the U.S. – if China takes retaliatory action. The Trump administration has already instituted two rounds of tariffs on China, affecting approximately USD 50 billion (EUR 42.7 billion) in Chinese goods.

China’s Ministry of Commerce responded on Tuesday, 18 September, with a statement that the country will retaliate “in a synchronous manner.” Reuters reported that China will impose five to 10 percent tariffs on USD 60 billion (EUR 51.2 billion) worth of American goods beginning 24 September

Read the full story at Seafood Source

ALASKA: Biologists, fishermen puzzle over late Kenai sockeye run

September 13, 2018 — First they were underweight, with underwhelming numbers. Then they weren’t there at all. Then they were coming in late, showing up as Upper Cook Inlet fishermen were packing up their gear for the season.

The unpredictable and significantly smaller Kenai River sockeye run frustrated a lot of fishermen this year.

As of the last day of sonar counts on Aug. 28, about 1.03 million sockeye had entered the river. More than half of them arrived after Aug. 1, leading to a stop-and-start fishery that included significant time and area cuts for commercial fishermen in Cook Inlet and a complete sockeye salmon sport angling closure on the Kenai River from Aug. 4–23.

That resulted in a total catch of 813,932 sockeye, less than half of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s preseason forecast commercial harvest of 1.9 million sockeye.

Even the late fish arrival wasn’t much of a boon to the area’s commercial fishermen. Per the management plans, the East Side setnet fishermen are largely out of the water by Aug. 15, and the drift gillnet fleet is moved mostly to the west side of Cook Inlet to focus on silver salmon.

Read the full story at the Alaska Journal of Commerce