September 8, 2020 — An outbreak of COVID-19 has been reported at Bandon Pacific Seafood in Coos Bay, Oregon.
The Coos Bay Public Health Department released a statement late last week revealing that at least five cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed at the seafood plant, which is owned by Pacific Seafood. In order to protect privacy, workplace outbreaks are only reported when a workplace has at least 30 employees and five or more of them test positive for COVID-19.
July 8, 2020 — The following was released by the West Coast Seafood Processors Association:
Due to recent sightings of humpback whale aggregations on the inshore whale survey transects between Newport and North Bend and fishermen’s reports of humpbacks in the 25- to 50-fathom area between Seal Rock and Coos Bay, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is recommending all gear be moved to shallower water, preferably inside 25 fathoms.
Already, Oregon crab gear from this year’s fishing season was found in June on a dead juvenile humpback whale off of Point Reyes, Calif.
It is in the industry’s best interest to avoid whale entanglements.
Fishermen should also observe best practices to avoid whales, especially during these months of higher ESA-listed humpback and blue whales off Oregon. Those best practices include:
January 13, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA:
NOAA Fisheries has issued a final biological opinion on construction and operation of the Jordan Cove terminal in Coos Bay, Oregon, and the associated 229-mile long Pacific Connector Liquid Natural Gas pipeline. After conducting a thorough review, NOAA scientists determined that the proposed action does not jeopardize protected species or adversely modify their critical habitat.
“NOAA’s opinion on Jordan Cove will pave the way for more American jobs and vastly expanded exports of domestically sourced liquified natural gas to prized Asian markets,” said Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. “The speed of this decision was only made possible by recent reforms to the infrastructure permitting process, while still allowing the relevant authorities ample time to determine that no species or critical habitat would be jeopardized.”
The pipeline would connect the terminal to other major pipelines in the West, linking it to gas supplies across the United States and Canada. The terminal in Coos Bay would be capable of liquefying up to 1.04 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day for export to markets around the world.
This biological opinion considered the effects of construction and operation of the terminal and pipeline on 17 species listed under the Endangered Species Act and their critical habitats. The affected species include whales, sea turtles, salmon and other fish species. NOAA Fisheries determined that impacts on the species and their habitat would occur only in the short-term or on small scales, and would be dispersed broadly across about 250 miles.
The biological opinion fulfills requirements under the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act, known as FAST-41, and Executive Order 13807, which sets a goal of speeding environmental reviews.
The company, Pembina Pipeline Corporation, committed to important best management practices that would reduce effects on listed species, and proposed mitigation measures that will benefit species in the long-term.
The measures include restoration of at least 72 acres of tidelands and 2.7 acres of freshwater floodplain that provide important habitat for protected salmon and other species. The company would also establish at least 2.7 acres of eelgrass habitat. Additional measures would restore and improve freshwater habitat at 60 sites along the pipeline route, including placement of large wood in streams, riparian vegetation planting and fencing, fish passage improvement, and road improvements that will reduce delivery of fine sediment to streams.
CHARLESTON, Ore. (March 24, 2016) — The Coast Guard has suspended its search for a fisherman missing near Charleston, Oregon.
A 62-foot fishing trawler was carrying the fisherman and three other people when it capsized Wednesday, the Coast Guard said in a news release.
The other three people aboard the vessel were rescued by someone who happened to be nearby when the vessel capsized, the Coast Guard said.
Authorities suspended their search at 7 p.m. Wednesday after 11 hours of attempting to find the fisherman, who was captaining the now-sunken vessel.
January 20, 2016 (AP) — PORTLAND, Ore. — The captain of a boat that capsized more than a mile off the entrance to Coos Bay, Oregon, was able to make it to shore, while one fisherman died and two more were missing, the U.S. Coast Guard said.
Petty Officer 3rd Class Jonathan Klingenberg said the commercial fishing vessel overturned at about 9 p.m. Tuesday. He said a good Samaritan took the captain to Air Station North Bend. His name and condition were not available.
“We just know that he was alive,” Klingenberg said.
The Coast Guard dispatched helicopter and boat crews, and found one body. Capt. Michael Trimpert, commander of the Coast Guard Sector North Bend, said the agency will saturate the search area in an effort to find the missing fishermen.
Read the full story from the Associated Press at CBS News