Saving Seafood

Biden administration advances bid to list Gulf of Alaska king salmon as endangered or threatened

May 26, 2024 — The Biden administration says that listing numerous Alaska king salmon populations under the Endangered Species Act could be warranted, and it now plans to launch a broader scientific study to follow its preliminary review.

Citing the species’ diminished size at adulthood and spawning numbers below sustainable targets set by state managers, the National Marine Fisheries Service announced its initial conclusion early Thursday in a 14-page federal notice.

It said a January 2024 listing request from a Washington state-based conservation group had met the legal criteria to advance the agency’s examination of Gulf of Alaska king salmon populations to the next stage, which is a rigorous scientific review expected to take at least nine months.

Endangered Species Act experts said the initial hurdle is typically an easy one for advocacy groups to clear, while the second stage can take much longer — with the courts often brought in to settle disputes over delays and scientific conclusions.

“The review really starts in earnest now,” said Cooper Freeman, Alaska director for the Center for Biological Diversity, a conservation group that isn’t involved in the king salmon proposal but frequently petitions and litigates for protections for other species. The preliminary decision, he added, is “part of the process, but the initial finding in no way predetermines an outcome.”

The listing petition was submitted by the Wild Fish Conservancy, which has previously filed Endangered Species Act lawsuits to protect other populations of Alaska and Washington salmon and steelhead.

The group’s previous efforts threatened to close down a longstanding small-boat king salmon fishery in Southeast Alaska and drew broad condemnation from fishermen, state wildlife managers and even conservation groups.

Read the full article at Northern Journal

ALASKA: Peltola sponsors a bill to limit salmon bycatch. The pollock industry calls it ‘unworkable.’

May 23, 2024 — Alaska Congresswoman Mary Peltola introduced two bills Wednesday that aim to deliver on one of her campaign themes: Reducing the number of salmon that the Bering Sea fishing fleet catches by accident.

One of the bills would curtail the use of fishing nets that scrape sensitive parts of the sea floor. It would require regional fisheries management councils to designate bottom trawl zones and limit that kind of fishing to those areas.

It also attempts to crack down on fishing gear that hits the sea floor but goes by a different name. Peltola said areas that are closed to bottom trawling off Alaska’s coast are too often open to pelagic trawling, which in theory means the nets are in the mid-water.

“I think 40 to 80% of the time, that ‘pelagic’ gear is actually on the bottom,” she said. “So I think that defining these terms and having a more accurate definition of what bottom trawl is, and the percentage of time that those nets are on the bottom, is really important.”

A second bill would increase the money available for a grant program that funds research and equipment to help fishing fleets reduce bycatch. That program would get up to $10 million per year, $7 million more than its current cap.

Read the full article at Alaska Public Media

ALASKA: Commercial fisheries commission begins regulatory process to add dipnets to Cook Inlet setnet fisheries

May 23, 2024 — The Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission has begun a process to add dipnets as a legal gear type for commercial set gillnet fishing operations in Upper Cook Inlet’s Central Region, which includes the east side setnet fishery.

The move follows the March approval by the State Board of Fisheries that added dipnets as a legal gear type for the fisheries and established regulations for their use. Before the gear can be used and the fishery opened, both the board and commission needed to approve dipnets in their regulations. The board approved the change in pursuit of options for “selective harvest with no termination of kings,” in the words of member Mike Wood.

According to an advisory announcement by the State Department of Fish and Game on May 16, the commission on the previous Monday issued notice of their proposed regulatory changes to begin a 30-day comment period.

Public comments on the changes, including regarding potential costs to users, the announcement said, can be mailed to the commission or submitted at 907-789-6170, dfg.cfec.publicquestions@alaska.gov, or the Alaska Online Public Notice System. Comments will be accepted until 5 p.m. on June 13.

Read the full article at Peninsula Clarion 

ALASKA: Alaska commercial fishers will only pay to register vessels once under pending bill

May 23, 2024 — Alaska’s commercial vessel owners will no longer be required to pay for registration with two separate state agencies, under a bill passed by the state Legislature.

House Bill 19, which creates the exemption for boat owners, passed the House and Senate on May 15 and is waiting for Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s signature.

If made law, as long as a vessel has a valid certificate of documentation from the U.S. Coast Guard and a vessel license through the state’s Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission, then the registration fee is waived. Currently boat owners pay a $24 registration fee at the Division of Motor Vehicles for powered boats.

When Rep. Louise Stutes, R-Kodiak, introduced the legislation in committee last year, she said it addresses excess licensing fees from the DMV. She said that certain state laws created more hindrances for commercial fishers in Alaska and she wants to remove the duplication.

Read the full article at Alaska Public Media

ALASKA: Groups band together against Pebble Limited Partnership

May 21, 2024 — On Friday, the United Tribes of Bristol Bay, Bristol Bay Native Association, Bristol Bay Native Corporation, Bristol Bay Economic Development Corporation, Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association, and Commercial Fishermen for Bristol Bay jointly moved to intervene in a challenge by Northern Dynasty Minerals and Pebble Limited Partnership to the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision to protect our nation’s clean waters from the mining of the Pebble ore deposit.

After decades of study, the EPA determined that the mine would have unacceptable adverse effects on Bristol Bay’s resources, fishing industry, and communities.  Northern Dynasty’s challenge to EPA’s decision was filed in federal court in Alaska, and the Bristol Bay organizations moved to intervene in the case to ensure that the interests of the region, its Native communities, resources, environment, and economy remain protected and secure.

Below are statements from the organizations that filed the motion to intervene:

“With today’s filing, the people of Bristol Bay are standing up for our region and our way of life.  For decades, Bristol Bay Tribes, a majority of Alaskans, along with people across the country, have voiced their opposition to Northern Dynasty and its plans to develop the Pebble Mine,” said Shelley Cotton, Chief Strategy Director of the United Tribes of Bristol Bay. “The Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Water Act Final Determination is the result of years of effort by our people to protect the place we call home.  We have made our voices heard throughout the world.  And now we are taking our voice to the courts.”

“Pebble mine would jeopardize the world’s most pristine wild sockeye salmon habitat, tens of thousands of fishing-related jobs, and a salmon-based Alaska Native culture that dates back millennia. EPA relied on sound science, a thorough process, and the voices of tens of thousands of Alaskans to issue its Clean Water Act Section 404(c) Final Determination,” said Russell Nelson, BBNC Board Chair. “While we are confident these basic facts will prevail in court, Congress can and should also put this matter to rest by providing additional protections for Bristol Bay. Rep. Peltola’s Bristol Bay Protection Act is a good starting point, and we look forward to working with the entire Alaska delegation to ensure Bristol Bay’s future remains free of Pebble mine.”

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

ALASKA: Building climate resilience together with Alaska’s fishing communities

May 21, 2024 — Communities of the Gulf of Alaska have a long history of adaptation. They have survived and thrived through wars, economic depressions, and natural disasters. They have also adapted to changes in the fishing industry, such as the decline of populations and the rise of aquaculture. Fishing communities are resilient. They have the knowledge, skills, and experience to adapt to challenges, including those brought by changing climates. With the right support, they can continue to thrive.  But to do that they need scientific information that supports resiliency planning by region.

Most of us are well aware of the blob, a massive marine heatwave that occurred in the Gulf of Alaska starting in 2014, caused widespread mortality of marine organisms, including commercially important species such as Pacific cod, halibut, and salmon. As a result, 18 fisheries in the Gulf were declared official disasters, leading to significant economic losses for fishing communities and seafood processors. Scientists predict that the effects of climate change will continue to intensify in coming years, with more frequent and severe heatwaves, as well as increased ocean acidification and harmful algal blooms. These changes are likely to have an ongoing and profound impact on the Gulf of Alaska fisheries, and on the communities and economies that depend on them.

The Alaska Marine Conservation Council has worked for three decades to create bridges between scientific resources and fishing communities. We have a long-term commitment to advance these critical discussions and recognize the importance of increasing efforts as unprecedented changes unfold around us. This kind of collaboration can help maintain resilience in Alaskan fishing communities, particularly as the marine environment changes.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

Supporting the Long-Term Survival of Copper River Salmon and Alaska Native Traditions

May 20, 2024 — NOAA Fisheries’ Office of Habitat Conservation is investing in the long-term survival of one of the world’s most prized fish: Alaska’s Copper River salmon. With gourmet chefs paying upwards of $90 per pound for the flavorful fish, Copper River salmon play a crucial role in the region’s economy. The salmon support a $20 million commercial fishing industry and provide millions more to local communities through related jobs. The fish are also the lifeblood of Alaska Natives, who rely on subsistence fishing to feed their families and maintain their ancestral traditions.

However, Copper River salmon numbers are declining. NOAA and its partners are addressing a significant threat to the fish by removing barriers that block access to spawning grounds and cold-water rearing habitat for juveniles.

In 2023, the Copper River Watershed Project completed a NOAA-funded project that opened up more than 70 stream miles to migratory salmon.

This summer, the Project will work with The Eyak Corporation to break ground on new fish passage projects. The $4.3 million in funding for these efforts comes from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act.

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries 

ALASKA: Alaska lawmakers don’t include tribal seats on Seafood Task Force after intense debate

May 19, 2024 — A passionate debate within the Alaska Legislature about tribal sovereignty and a task force to course-correct the state’s seafood industry economic and ecological collapse resulted in last weekend’s final passage of a temporary eight-member Seafood Industry Task Force to spearhead recovery initiatives.

The state Senate bill passed its final legislative step with a 39-to-1 majority in a vote on the House floor, and the upper chamber unanimously approved it the same day. However, an amendment introduced by Republican state Rep. Louise Stutes only allowed eight elected officials and excluded five other fishing, fish processing, and community representatives. The three tribal seats that Democratic state Rep. CJ McCormick had advocated for were not included.

“It took us until 2022 to finally recognize tribes. We have them here in this bill, and now we’re taking them out,” said Democratic state Rep. CJ McCormick in open debate on the House floor. “It felt pretty monumentous to finally have representation from tribal members.”

The 26-year-old legislator then called the public’s attention to footage of an April 25 House Fisheries Committee meeting in which he argued that tribal governments are rightful co-governing stakeholders in the Alaskan commercial fishing industry. “It just gives me a little bit of pause that [after] adding them on there, now all of the sudden ‘the commission’s too big,’” said Rep. McCormick.

Read the full article at USA Today

ALASKA: Commercial fisheries commission begins regulatory process to add dipnets to Cook Inlet setnet fisheries

May 19, 2024 — The Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission has begun a process to add dipnets as a legal gear type for commercial set gillnet fishing operations in Upper Cook Inlet’s Central Region, which includes the east side setnet fishery.

The move follows the March approval by the State Board of Fisheries that added dipnets as a legal gear type for the fisheries and established regulations for their use. Before the gear can be used and the fishery opened, both the board and commission needed to approve dipnets in their regulations. The board approved the change in pursuit of options for “selective harvest with no termination of kings,” in the words of member Mike Wood.

According to an advisory announcement by the State Department of Fish and Game on Thursday, the commission on Monday issued notice of their proposed regulatory changes to begin a 30-day comment period.

Public comments on the changes, including regarding potential costs to users, the announcement said, can be mailed to the commission or submitted at 907-789-6170, dfg.cfec.publicquestions@alaska.gov, or the Alaska Online Public Notice System. Comments will be accepted until 5 p.m. on June 13.

Read the full article at the Peninsula Clarion