Saving Seafood

Murphy, Murkowski Applaud Final Passage Of Save Our Seas 2.0

December 3, 2020 — The following was released by The Office of Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK):

U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) applauded passage of Save Our Seas 2.0, legislation to combat marine debris. Murphy and Murkowski are both cosponsors of the bill, which was introduced and led by U.S. Senators Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-Rhode Island) and Bob Menendez (D-New Jersey). The legislation includes a Murphy-Murkowski drafted provision that allows for the establishment of a new Genius Prize to fund the development of materials to replace single use plastic and innovations that remove and prevent plastic waste.

“The amount of plastic flowing into our oceans poses a huge problem. That’s why I was proud to work with Senators Sullivan, Whitehouse and Menendez on the bipartisan Save our Seas 2.0 Act, which will reduce the amount of plastic in our oceans at home and abroad,” said Senator Murphy. “I am also grateful the final bill includes language I drafted with Senator Murkowski to allow for the establishment of a genius prize to clean up marine debris and replace single-use plastics. There’s more work to do, but this bill is an important step in the right direction.”

“Alaskans depend on healthy oceans and coastlines to support the marine resources that so many of our communities depend on. Whether it’s for our fisheries, tourism, or subsistence activities—maintaining a healthy marine environment is essential to our everyday lives. I applaud Senator Sullivan for his leadership on legislation to eliminate plastic waste polluting our oceans and am pleased by the Senate passage of Save Our Seas 2.0, legislation that I cosponsored,” said Senator Murkowski. “The bill includes a provision of mine with Senator Murphy to fund a new Genius Prize, which would reward innovation and creative strategies to combat the growing issue of marine debris. By creating incentives for the development of projects to clean up our oceans and shorelines, as well as to replace or improve single-use plastics, we are taking important steps to ensure healthier ocean environments for generations to come.”

ALASKA: Reply All: Bristol Bay associations sign new letter to Dunleavy

October 30, 2020 — We’ll be setting our clocks back this weekend, but a passionate letter-writing exchange in Alaska is making this feel like a moment from the distant past. Unlike your average political correspondence, the parties involved in this exchange are laying pretty plain how they really feel.

This series of missives between Gov. Mike Dunleavy and two state legislators, Reps. Bryce Edgmon and Louise Stutes, is one component of the fallout of the controversial Pebble Tapes, in which activists posed as potential mine investors and recorded Pebble and Northern Dynasty executives Tom Collier and Ronald Thiessen bragging about the mining conglomerate’s use of the governor’s office to launder communications for the White House.

“Your letter does not address Pebble’s blunt characterization of you and others within your administration as acting behind closed doors on Pebble’s compensatory mitigation plan,” Edgmon writes in an Oct. 26 reply to the governor, which started with a September message from Edgmon and Stutes. “Similarly, we note that your letter does not address Tom Collier’s admissions that he interfered in Alaska’s election process. Silence on these points undercuts the integrity of state government in ways that go far beyond Pebble, and we urge you to speak to them.”

The letter recognizes Alaska Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan for making direct statements against the project after the Pebble Tapes called attention to their tendency to fade into the background when it came to Pebble.

Read the full story at National Fisherman

Gross receipts: Fishing takes centerstage in Alaska’s Senate race

October 23, 2020 — Health care was the issue that pushed Dr. Al Gross to challenge Alaska Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan, who is running for a second term. But fisheries has been the hot-button issue as this senate race draws to a close.

Gross, from Juneau, has fished his whole life. His mother was the first executive director of the United Fishermen of Alaska.

Sullivan has the backing of the United Fishermen of Alaska in this race, though that declaration came in June, before much of the political fallout that has put Gross within striking distance of the seat. Alaska Bering Sea Crabbers endorsed Sullivan on Oct. 7. Gross is endorsed by the United Tribes of Bristol Bay, which has been an outspoken and vehement critic of the proposed Pebble Mine.

An Oct. 10 debate between the candidates hosted by the Kodiak Chamber of Commerce and ComFish via Zoom saw Pebble Mine rear its head in the first 10 minutes.

Read the full story at National Fisherman

ALASKA: Al Gross and Sen. Dan Sullivan face off on fisheries in U.S. Senate debate

October 14, 2020 — The Kodiak Chamber of Commerce’s U.S. Senate debate is the only Alaska political forum of its kind devoted exclusively to fisheries. Saturday night’s showdown between Sen. Dan Sullivan and his challenger, Al Gross, had some heated exchanges.

“If this was a Nascar race, you would have corporate sponsor patches all over your jacket,” said Gross, who accused his Republican opponent of being beholden to special interests and rattled off a long list.

“The plastics industry. Big pharma. Big oil on your hat, and I’d save this spot right here in the middle for Pebble mine,” Gross said.

“The Pebble Mine is dead, and I’m going to keep it that way,” Sullivan fired back.

Gross referred to a secretly recorded video, in which the head of Pebble Mine claims Sullivan silently supports the mine.

Read the full story at KTOO

ALASKA: Sullivan and Gross battled it out on fisheries, Pebble Mine and Outside money in debut U.S. Senate debate

October 12, 2020 — After weeks of attack ads and snipes at each other in the media, U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan and challenger Al Gross laid into each other in real time during the 90-minute premiere debate in their race for a U.S. Senate seat.

The debate, hosted by ComFish Alaska and the Kodiak Chamber of Commerce, took place over Zoom and was centered around fisheries policy. The candidates early and often folded in central issues of the race, including campaign financing, the federal COVID-19 relief package and Pebble Mine.

Sullivan, the Republican incumbent, repeatedly characterized Gross as a threat to giving Democrats control of the Senate.

“He will … empower the radical left in the Senate, in the Congress,” Sullivan said in his closing remarks. “That has an anti-Alaska agenda. An agenda focused on shutting down fishing opportunities, more monuments, more Endangered Species Act designations. This is a huge threat to our state.”

Gross, standing outside and wearing a camo jacket, talked of his childhood in Southeast Alaska and growing up as a fisherman. He aggressively went at Sullivan for not denouncing the development of the Pebble Mine in Southwest Alaska earlier in the process.

Read the full story at the Anchorage Daily News

ALASKA: Sen. Sullivan says ‘No Pebble mine’ following release of secretly recorded videos of company executives and criticism by Gross

September 25, 2020 — Alaska Republican U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan cemented his opposition to the Pebble mine on Thursday after secret recordings were released of the project’s now-former CEO and another executive describing their relationship with Sullivan and other Alaska politicians.

“Given the lies of Pebble’s leadership, the record needs to be set straight,” Sullivan said in a three-part Twitter post on Thursday afternoon.

The recordings were quickly used by Sullivan’s Senate challenger, Al Gross, in an ad accusing Sullivan of hiding his support for the mine from the public. Gross called for Sullivan to return campaign contributions from Pebble executives.

The series of Twitter posts by Sullivan included the long version of Sullivan’s views on Pebble, returning to his late August statement when he said a federal permit cannot be issued for the mine.

Read the full story at the Anchorage Daily News

ALASKA: New grant helps fund cold-storage facility at Anchorage airport

September 22, 2020 — Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport will be the recipient of a USD 21 million (EUR 17.9 million) federal transportation grant that will help fund a large cold-storage facility at the site, the U.S. congressional delegation from Alaska announced last Monday.

Plans for the site itself had already been announced, but the grant, which was awarded to the Alaska Energy Authority, was made public last week.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Paycheck Protection Program Deadline Extension

July 1, 2020 — The following was released by The Office of Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK):

The U.S. Senate unanimously passed legislation to extend the Paycheck Protection Program to August 8, 2020. The small business loan program expired yesterday, on June 30. It now needs to pass the House in order for it to be sent to the President’s desk to be signed into law.

Just last week the Department of Treasury and Small Business Administration announced a rule allowing commercial fishing businesses to account for crew member payroll when applying for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, a change that the Alaska Congressional Delegation had been seeking for weeks. While commercial fishing businesses were previously eligible for PPP loans, before June 25th they were not fully able to take advantage of the PPP due to the Department of Treasury’s previous interpretation of eligible payroll costs. Treasury issued a rule on June 25th to address this. While the fix was welcome news, this gave commercial fishing businesses just days to apply for PPP funds before the June 30 deadline.

“We’ve seen the importance of the Paycheck Protection Program to countless small businesses in Alaska. During this unprecedented coronavirus pandemic, it has been helped them weather the storm,” said Senator Murkowski. “With last week’s fix to finally allow commercial fishing businesses to take full advantage of the program, this extension is absolutely necessary to give them the opportunity and time they need to apply. My hope is that the House quickly takes this legislation up so that we can give these small business owners, including our fisherman, the peace of mind they need.”

“The recent rule change enabling commercial fishermen to more fully access the Paycheck Protection Program was a big win for Alaska, but the narrow window of time left to apply—especially in the middle of fishing season for many—threatened to blunt the benefits,” said Senator Sullivan. “I thank my Senate colleagues for extending the PPP application deadline and, if this bill makes it past the House and the President’s desk, I urge all interested Alaska small businesses, including our hard-working fishermen, to apply quickly so they don’t miss out on the remaining PPP relief funds.”

Click here for more information on the Paycheck Protection Program.

US seafood industry gets $300 million in coronavirus relief, hopes for more protections

April 1, 2020 — The U.S. seafood industry received a $300 million assist from the $2 trillion COVID-19 relief package passed by Congress on March 27, and a wide coalition of industry stakeholders is hoping for more.

Fishery recipients in the relief bill include tribes, persons, communities, processors, aquaculture and other related businesses. SeafoodNews.com reports that those eligible for relief must have “revenue losses greater than 35 percent as compared to the prior 5-year average revenue, or any negative impacts to subsistence, cultural, or ceremonial fisheries.”

The funds will be provided on a rolling basis within a fishing season through Sept. 30, 2021. Two percent can be used for administration and oversight activities.

The package follows a bipartisan letter sent on March 23 to Congress by Democratic Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Edward Markie of Massachusetts and Alaska’s Republican Sens. Murkowski and Sullivan. They asked, among other things, that fishermen be able to collect unemployment insurance, get help with vessel loan payments and ensure that the global pandemic does not compromise management of U.S. fisheries.

Read the full story at the Anchorage Daily News

Northeast Fishermen Struggle As The Coronavirus Outbreak Halts Demand

March 26, 2020 — The coronavirus outbreak and the uncertainty surrounding it have left Northeast fishermen feeling the pressure. Across the country measures are being taken to “flatten the curve” or slow the spread of the virus. These measures include the closure of restaurants, bars and event venues. Without these markets available, fishermen have fewer opportunities to sell their fish and product is starting to pile up.

Nick Muto, a fisherman out of Saquatucket in Harwich, MA, who catches monkfish and skate is amongst the many who have had to reduce their fishing effort. “We’re feeling the pressure across the board not only the domestic – retail markets from fish markets to restaurants – but also we’re feeling it on a global scale,” Muto said. He added that a significant portion of his catch gets shipped to Europe and Asia, countries that have a more diverse seafood diet. However there is currently very little demand across the board.

Muto still has buyers to sell his fish to, but not all fishermen are in the same boat. In a letter to Senate leadership requesting aid for fishermen, Massachusetts Senators Elizabeth Warren and Edward Markey, along with Alaska Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan wrote about a widespread decrease in fishing. “Some fisheries are completely shut down because there is no market for their fish,” the Senators write. “Seafood processors are struggling because closed restaurants are no longer buying fresh products. While boats sit idle in port, unable to fish, fishing captains cannot make vessel loan payments or pay crewmembers.”

Read the full story at Forbes