Saving Seafood

CALIFORNIA: Ropeless gear trial divides California crab fishery

September 24, 2024 — A recent trial of innovative ropeless crab fishing gear off the California coast has sparked a heated debate within the Dungeness crab fishing community. While some accept the technology as a breakthrough in reducing whale entanglements, others view it as another complication in an already struggling industry.

Many commercial crabbers remain angry about the trial because it allowed a minimal number of fishermen to fish during the end of the Dungeness breeding season when crabs would typically be biting. This trial, the most extensive testing of pop-up fishing gear to date off the coast of California, allowed select participants to fish during restricted times from April 9 to June 30.

Fishermen who have faced years of economic setbacks from shortened crab seasons and the closure of the king salmon fishery are wary of embracing new gear. Concerns about conversion costs, reliability, and the risk of unintended consequences have created significant pushback among many crabbers.

Read the full article at National Fisherman 

A handful of crab boats experimented with a new gear. Can it keep whales from being entangled?

September 19, 2024 — A trial of innovative crab fishing gear designed to reduce whale entanglements is being hailed as a resounding success that should advance widespread use of the new technology off the California coast sometime soon.

But the reception to the trial and reports of its success have opened a window into profound conflict within the Dungeness crab fleet over the future of the industry, the squeeze of government regulations, and mistrust of the technology and those who promote it.

Read the full article at The Press Democrat

NOAA inches closer toward establishing marine sanctuary along California coast

September 9, 2024 — NOAA has completed another milestone toward achieving U.S. President Joe Biden’s goal of establishing a new national marine sanctuary off the coast of central California, releasing the final Environmental Impact Statement for the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary.

“Today, our administration is taking a critical step toward designating the first Indigenous-proposed National Marine Sanctuary,” Vice President Kamala Harris said in a statement. “As a senator, I was proud to support efforts to create the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary off California’s coast to honor our commitments to Indigenous communities and promote natural spaces. President Biden and I will continue to protect, conserve, and restore lands and waters in communities across our nation.”

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

‘Ropeless’ fishing gear nets crabs without whale entanglements

September 3, 2024 — A three-month trial of whale-friendly “ropeless” fishing gear off central California resulted in a 229,000-pound harvest of Dungeness crabs valued at $1.6 million with zero whale entanglements, according to results released Friday.

The study was the most extensive field test to date of the gear, which avoids entanglement risk by storing a crab trap’s vertical line and buoy on the ocean floor until a fisherman sends an acoustic “pop-up” signal releasing the gear.

Nineteen commercial crab fishermen participated in the trial that deployed pop-up gear systems under an experimental fishing permit issued by the California Fish and Game Commission. The central coast Dungeness crab fishery has been closed for five years after regulators found increased entanglement risk for both whales and sea turtles in the lines and buoys of conventional crab gear.

Read the full article at E&E News

As removal of dams frees Klamath River, California tribes see hope of saving salmon

August 29, 2024 — Excavators clawed at the remnants of Iron Gate Dam, clattering loudly as they unloaded tons of earth and rock into dump trucks.

Nine miles upriver, machinery tore into the foundation of a second dam, Copco No. 1, carving away some of the last fragments of the sloping concrete barrier that once towered above the Klamath River.

Over the last few weeks, crews have nearly finished removing the last of the four dams that once held back the Klamath River near the California-Oregon border.

On Wednesday, workers carved channels to breach the remaining cofferdams at the last two sites, allowing water to flow freely along more than 40 miles of the Klamath for the first time in more than a century.

Read the full article at LA Times

A rarely seen deep sea fish is found in California, and scientists want to know why

August 16, 2024 — A rarely seen deep sea fish resembling a serpent was found floating dead on the ocean surface off the San Diego coast and was brought ashore for study, marine experts said.

The silvery, 12-foot-long (3.6-meter) oarfish was found last weekend by a group of snorkelers and kayakers in La Jolla Cove, north of downtown San Diego, the Scripps Institution of Oceanography said in a statement.

It’s only the 20th time an oarfish is known to have washed up in California since 1901, according to institution fish expert Ben Frable.

Read the full article at the Associated Press 

CALIFORNIA: Hueneme gets millions from California Port Data Partnership

July 23, 2024 — Port of Hueneme officials have announcement a $3.9 million award from the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz).

The investment, known as the California Port Data Partnership, is designed to revolutionize direct cloud-based data management and sharing among California’s five containerized ports to accelerate climate adaptation and resiliency, workforce development, zero-emission vehicle deployment, and increased grid support and reliability.

California ports are responsible for handling 40% of all containerized imports and 30% of all containerized exports in the U.S.

“California’s ports are critical to the stability of our national and global supply chains, as well as the health of our worldwide economy,” GO-Biz director and senior advisor to Gov. Gavin Newsom, Dee Dee Myers, said in a statement announcing the award. “These historic, first-of-their-kind awards will allow us to use data to improve the functionality of our supply chain, and we look forward to working with our ports to further the momentum that these projects will generate across the state.”

Read the full article at WorkBoat

CALIFRONIA: California Invests $27 Million in Port Data System Development

July 15, 2024 — The California Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) today announced the award of $27 million to support data system development and interoperability across California’s five containerized ports, the first-ever state-level funding in the country focused on improving data functionality across a statewide network of ports.

As the nation’s premier gateway for international trade, California and its ports are essential to the smooth functioning of the global economy. The state’s containerized ports, which include the Ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach, Oakland, San Diego, and Hueneme, handle a staggering 40% of all U.S. containerized imports, supporting millions of jobs and generating billions in economic activity.

“California’s ports are critical to the stability of our national and global supply chains, as well as the health of our worldwide economy,” said GO-Biz Director and Senior Advisor to Governor Gavin Newsom, Dee Dee Myers. “These historic, first-of-their-kind awards will allow us to use data to improve the functionality of our supply chain, and we look forward to working with our ports to further the momentum that these projects will generate across the state.”

The awards will fund ten innovative projects across the five ports that address key challenges in port operations and foster long-term statewide freight resilience. These projects encompass a wide range of solutions including optimization of cargo-routing, deployment of cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence, implementation of climate resiliency and emissions reductions measures, adoption of trucking appointment systems, and the development of new data standards for cargo.

The funds follow the signing of a first-of-its-kind Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) last spring that formed the California Port Data Partnership between the five ports. Both the MOU and the awards are expected to yield significant economic, environmental, and transportation benefits for the State.

What the Ports Are Saying

“This unprecedented level of funding is crucial for California’s containerized ports as it will enhance the sharing of supply chain data to improve information flow. With the state’s investment, the Port of Hueneme will support collaborative efforts to bridge data gaps in the regional, state, and national supply chain. The funding will also accelerate the Port’s data strategy enhancing commercial, operational, and financial data sharing systems. We appreciate the State’s commitment to resiliency and its significant investment in goods movement.” – Port of Hueneme CEO & Port Director Kristin Decas

Read the full article at the The Maritime Executive