Saving Seafood

Alaskan tribal groups ask federal court to demand review on annual catch limits

September 27, 2024 — Two Alaskan tribal nonprofit groups are asking a federal judge to block the National Marine Fisheries Service’s adoption of annual catch limits for groundfish fisheries, arguing the agency violated federal environmental regulations by omitting analysis on the environmental effects of that decision.

Katherine Glover, an Earthjustice attorney representing the Tanana Chiefs Conference and the Association of Village Presidents, told U.S. District Judge Sharon Gleason that the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands ecosystem has declined since the service adopted its 2004 and 2007 environmental regulations.

“Since at least 2014, the Bering Sea has been in a period of turmoil,” Glover told the court at an oral hearing in Anchorage on Thursday.

The National Marine Fisheries Service manages groundfish fisheries in the Bering Sea and the Aleutian Islands. The tribal groups argue the agency hasn’t taken disruptions like climate change into account in deciding groundfish harvest specifications.

In a lawsuit filed last October, the tribal groups accused the service of relying on outdated environmental impact statements for harvest specifications and groundfish fisheries management. In doing so, the groups argue, the agency did not satisfy its obligations under the National Environmental Policy Act.

Read the full article at Courthouse News Service

OPINION: Safeguarding Alaska offshore habitat and providing a path forward for trawling

September 27, 2024 — As commissioner of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, I often hear concerns about the impacts of trawl gear used in Alaska’s pollock fisheries, most recently related to potential unobserved mortality of crabs and halibut in the Bering Sea. We know that pelagic trawls fishing for Alaska pollock are often operated close to, or in contact with, the seafloor. What we do not know is the extent of this contact or the potential impacts on bottom-dwelling species like crab and halibut and their habitat. These data gaps are concerning to Alaskans, and I want to highlight actions underway to understand and address the unintended consequences on seafloor ecosystems in areas that fishery managers and stakeholders have recognized as needing protection.

Alaska’s marine fisheries are universally recognized as a shining example of both bounty and sustainability. About 60% of domestically caught U.S. seafood comes from Alaska. Science-based management by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, North Pacific Fishery Management Council, and NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has proven to be the key to ensuring that Alaska’s fisheries continue to support good jobs, vibrant fishing communities and a healthy food supply for generations to come. But fishery management must be adaptive to changing biological and economic conditions, and declines in crab, halibut and other important stocks in recent years have heightened concerns about the impacts of bottom trawling.

When considering trawl fisheries, it’s important to distinguish between bottom trawls and pelagic trawls used in the pollock fishery. As the name implies, bottom trawls are specifically designed to catch fish at or near the seafloor. Pelagic trawls are designed to fish higher than bottom trawls and are typically used to target a single species. The best available information indicates that bottom trawls have a greater impact on seafloor habitat than pelagic trawls, and ADF&G, the Council and NMFS have closed large areas of the ocean off Alaska to bottom trawling to minimize these impacts. That said, some key species such as scallops can only be fished with bottom fishing gear.

Read the full article at Anchorage Daily News

ALASKA: Cook Inlet fisheries to get $9.4M in disaster relief for 2018, 2020

September 26, 2024 — Two Cook Inlet salmon fisheries will receive more than $9.4 million in federal disaster relief that was held up, in part, by technical difficulties. They’re among ten Alaska fisheries getting money, the state’s Congressional delegation announced Friday.

In all, ten fisheries across the state will receive $277 million for disasters dating back to 2018. They include 2020’s Upper Cook Inlet salmon fishery and 2018’s Upper Cook Inlet east side setnet fishery.

Other fisheries that will receive money through the distribution include Bering Sea crab, Kuskokwim River and Norton Sound salmon and Gulf of Alaska pacific cod.

However, Friday’s announcement comes almost six months after U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola called on U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo to address payment holdups caused by a software glitch.

Last year, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, started using new accounting software, Business Applications Solution. NOAA is one of the agencies responsible for moving relief funds through the federal government. Peltola says problems with that software have held up disaster relief.

Read the full article at KDLL

ALASKA: U.S. Department of Commerce allocates $39.5 million in funding for Alaska fishery disaster

September 25, 2024 — U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo announced today the allocation of $39.5 million to address a fishery resource disaster that occurred in the Alaska Bering Sea Snow Crab Fishery from 2023 to 2024.

“As climate change continues to have severe impacts on the fisheries and ecosystems that are vital to Alaska’s economy, the Department of Commerce remains committed to providing disaster relief across the state,” said Secretary Raimondo. “This funding will help Alaskans recover from the Bering Sea Snow Crab Fishery disaster, support the community’s efforts to prevent future disasters, and keep jobs, recreation and cultural connections thriving.”

Congress provided fishery resource disaster assistance funding in the 2022 and 2023 Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Acts. NOAA Fisheries determined that this fishery is eligible to receive a funding allocation from those appropriations. The funds will improve the impacted fisheries’ long-term economic and environmental sustainability. The allocation may fund activities in support of commercial fishing and other associated industries affected by the disaster.

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries 

 

ALASKA: $277 million for Alaska fishery relief

September 24, 2024 — U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan (both R-AK) and Representative Mary Sattler Peltola (D-AK) welcomed the announcement of $277 million in funding for Alaska fishery disasters from the U.S. Department of Commerce. Funding for a number of salmon and crab fisheries from 2020-2023 will be transmitted to the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission for distribution to fishermen, their crews, seafood processors, and communities impacted by these fishery disasters.

“There is no question that fisheries and coastal communities in Alaska need help as they navigate catastrophic fishery collapses,” Senator Murkowski said. “Although I am grateful our fishermen and communities will finally see some relief, for many, it might be too little too late. After years of waiting, some have already moved onto other professions, and in some cases have even left the state. I will continue working with my colleagues to pass legislation to streamline the process so these regulatory delays are a thing of the past. I am hopeful this assistance will help Alaska’s hardworking fishermen recover from a devastating few years so they can get back on the water and return to their active role in this critical industry.”

Read the full article at National Fisherman

ALASKA: Alaska fishermen holding breath on 2024 Bristol Bay king crab season opening, 2025 salmon forecast

September 24, 2024 — Alaska fishermen are waiting for final word on whether there will be a red king crab season in Bristol Bay this fall.

And with the first 2025 Alaska salmon season forecast showing grim results, fishermen across Alaska, where seafood represents an outsized portion of the state’s economy, are worried about the future of their livelihoods.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

NOAA sends $277M to Alaska fisheries after years of delays

September 23, 2024 — The Biden administration has released $277 million in fishery disaster aid to Alaska that was held up for years by a problem-plagued software update at NOAA.

The release of long-awaited disaster assistance dollars will help communities affected by 10 disasters that contributed to the collapse of critical commercial species, including cod, crab and salmon that drive the state’s multibillion-dollar fisheries economy.

Half of those disasters — including sharp declines in Copper River and Prince William Sound salmon dating to 2018 — preceded the Biden administration and were to be paid with funds already appropriated by Congress.

Read the full article at E&E News

Snow crab comeback? Signs of recovery in the Bering Sea

September 20, 2024 — After the marine heat wave that hit the Bering Sea for years, billions of snow crabs disappeared in 2021. The following year, the state decided to close the fishery, which regularly has an annual harvest worth more than $200 million. According to a recent study, the long-term outlook for the fishery remains gleam, but with the water cooling, the younger crab population is growing once more.

Snow crabs are known to do better in non-subarctic climates. Their ideal water temperature varies depending on their stage of development. Still, they typically thrive in colder waters while they are immature and migrate into slightly warmer habitats as they mature. They can be found in the northeastern Atlantic, the Barents Sea, and the eastern Bering Sea, which is as south as the species will range in the North Pacific.

The study shared that the abrupt collapse of the Bering Sea snow crab stock can be explained by rapid borealization (the transition from an arctic physical state to subarctic), which is less than 98% likely to have been human induced. While strong Arctic conditions are now expected in only 8% of years to come, researchers have told stakeholders to accelerate adaptation planning for the complete loss of Arctic characteristics in the traditional fishing grounds.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

ALASKA: Alaska Governor Dunleavy Asked to Declare Federal Disaster for Southcentral Salmon Fisheries

September 20, 2024 — Alaska State Representative Sara Vance, from Homer, sent a letter to Governor Mike Dunleavy earlier this week asking him to declare the 2024 fisheries for salmon, particularly pink salmon, a federal disaster.

“The unprecedented low return of pink salmon has left many fishermen without income, while others are burdened with significant debt from this disastrous season,” Vance wrote. “For those whose livelihoods depend on the salmon harvest, this is an economic crisis with profound and far-reaching impacts.”

Statewide pink salmon harvests have reached 37.8 million fish to date, or 55% of a pre-season forecast of 69 million.

Read the full article at Seafoodnews.com

US soldiers deployed to Aleutian Islands in response to Chinese, Russian military presence

September 20, 2024 — The U.S. Army has increased its presence in the state of Alaska following increased military activity from Russia and China in and around the U.S. exclusive economic zone (EEZ). At the same time, state and federal officials from Alaska are calling for an increased military investment into the state.

Russia and China began conducting military exercises together in the Pacific and Arctic Oceans on 10 September. In the weeks since, U.S. forces have detected four separate incursions by foreign military aircraft into the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone and one instance of a foreign naval vessel entering the U.S. EEZ. These activities follow an instance in July when three Chinese military ships traversed through the U.S. EEZ and were confronted by the U.S. Coast Guard.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource