Saving Seafood

NMFS approves plan to restrict salmon fishing, protect orcas

September 17, 2021 — King salmon fishing could be cut back from Puget Sound to Monterey Bay if king salmon numbers fall too low to feed the 75 endangered Southern Resident orcas, under a plan approved Sept. 14 by NMFS.

Non-tribal fishing would be restricted when king salmon numbers appear heading toward that threshold — a key recommendation from a working group convened by the Pacific Fishery Management Council, including representatives from West Coast states, tribes, and NMFS.

In late 2020 the council adopted the work group’s suggestions, including limiting commercial and recreational fishing in certain places off California, Oregon, and Washington when estimated king salmon numbers north of Cape Falcon, Oregon, fall below a certain level of abundance.

That level would be set as the average of the seven lowest years of forecast king salmon abundance off the northern Oregon and Washington coasts, currently estimated at 966,000. In recent years salmon numbers held above that level, and 2007 was the last year when forecasts would have fallen below the threshold.

Read the full story at National Fisherman

 

US West Coast fishing industry requests review of sea otter reintroduction

August 16, 2021 — Major players in the U.S. West Coast fishing industry sent a letter to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) on Thursday, 12 August, requesting a thorough review of how a proposed sea otter reintroduction might affect the region’s fisheries and coastal economies.

A bill signed last year by former U.S. President Donald Trump gave USFWS until the end of 2021 to assess the impact a West Coast sea otter reintroduction might have on the region.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

West Coast CARES Act Funding, Spend Plans in Various Stages of Completion

August 13, 2021 — As fishermen and processors in Washington are receiving checks from the first round of COVID-19 relief, managers in California and Oregon are moving ahead with proposed spend plans for Round Two.

Round One funding, announced in May 2020, included $300 million provided by Sec. 12005 of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, also called the CARES Act, to states, tribes, and territories with coastal and marine fishery participants that were negatively affected by COVID–19.

Read the full story at Seafood News

Skeptics of sea otter reintroduction getting organized on Pacific Coast

August 13, 2021 — Sea otters are undeniably cute, but cuteness only goes so far when major economic interests are at stake. That’s an inference you can make from the emergence of organized pushback to the possible reintroduction of sea otters along the Oregon Coast.

A trade group, the West Coast Seafood Processors Association, enlisted 24 maritime interests to sign on to a letter expressing grave concerns about bringing back sea otters. Some of the signatories include the ports of Ilwaco, Astoria, Newport, Coos Bay and Brookings, the Pacific Coast Shellfish Growers and Columbia River crab fishermen.

“We’re hoping to get ahead of the curve here and get something on the record,” said Lori Steele, executive director of the Portland-based WCSPA.

In the letter sent to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service last week, the skeptics said the voracious appetite of sea otters would put the furry animals in conflict with fishermen and shellfish harvesters. The letter also raised red flags about the prospect of permitting difficulties for port projects, dredging and offshore wind farms if another protected marine mammal species were present.

“Our message to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is really, proceed with caution and be extremely thoughtful about potential impacts of this before doing anything,” Steele told the Port of Astoria Commission during its most recent meeting.

Read the full story at KLCC

CARES Act draft spend plan for Oregon available for review

August 11, 2021 — The following was released by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife:

ODFW has posted a draft of the proposed spend plan for the second round of Oregon distribution of federal CARES Act fisheries relief funding at https://www.dfw.state.or.us/fish/CARES/index.asp.

Marine and coastal fishery businesses who have experienced economic impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic are encouraged to review the draft and provide input.

About $13 million is available for Oregon’s marine and coastal fishery sectors experiencing significant economic impacts from the global COVID-19 pandemic. The relief aid slated for Oregon is part of $255 million in fisheries assistance funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). ODFW is the lead State agency working with fishery participants to coordinate aid.

The spend plan details how the distribution of these relief funds will be conducted in Oregon.  The plan builds upon successful aspects of round one funding completed in January 2021, with adjustments to address identified gaps.

The plan must be approved by the National Marine Fisheries Service. Once approved, the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission will manage the application process and distribute funds.

Comments on the plan should be sent to ODFW.CARESACT@odfw.oregon.gov. Comments received by Sunday, Aug. 22 will be reviewed and considered during finalization of the spend plan.

“We want to provide one more opportunity for Oregon businesses to comment on the draft plan before we submit a final version, and also realize that some may have missed our June public meeting,” said Chris Kern, ODFW Deputy Fish Division Administrator.

A recording and materials from the June 2021 online meeting are available one the ODFW CARES Act web page.

OREGON: Factors converge to make crab scarce on the North Coast

August 3, 2021 — It’s one of the most popular seafood items on the North Coast and a valuable local fishery, but Dungeness crab has never been harder to find, or more expensive.

At restaurants, portions may be smaller, prices are steep and crab may be off the menu completely this summer.

Seafood distributors, sellers and processors point to a number of factors that converged to create a perfect storm: the coronavirus pandemic, labor shortages, product shortages, supply chain issues and market demands. All have contributed to drive prices up from the usual $25 or so per pound to as much as $52.

“There’s a lot of theories and a lot of possibilities and a lot of reasons for things and it’s kind of, ‘Take your pick,’” said Tim Novotny, a spokesman for the Oregon Dungeness Crab Commission.

Read the full story at The Astorian

OREGON: Pacific Seafood donates to Newport water fund

July 23, 2021 — Pacific Seafood has donated more than $240,000 to assist the city of Newport in its efforts to maintain, upgrade and address its aging water infrastructure. The donation will help the city to safely address the water needs of local residents and businesses.

“As a result of a corrected billing error, Pacific Seafood has agreed to forgive over $240,000 in overcharges,” said Newport City Manager Spencer Nebel. “Pacific Seafood’s generous action comes at a critical time for the city’s water fund. The city of Newport has several major projects that are in need of immediate attention in order to ensure that city residents continue to have uninterrupted access to water service.” Nebel added, “Pacific Seafood’s donation to the water fund is greatly appreciated, and we thank them for their continued partnership with the city.”

Read the full story at the News Times

Coast Guard medevacs man from fishing vessel near Newport, OR

July 22, 2021 — A Coast Guard aircrew medevaced a man Monday afternoon from a 40-foot commercial fishing vessel after suffering a medical emergency 5 miles west of Newport.

Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector North Bend command center received a call from the vessel operator at 1:15 p.m., who reported that a 70-year-old male aboard had had passed out and lost consciousness.

An MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from Sector North Bend, already airborne conducting training in the area, diverted to the scene.

Read the full story at The News Guard

Tuna too few: Commercial season off to standard slow start

July 21, 2021 — Commercial albacore tuna season swam into action last week with the first official landings hitting local docks.

Safe Coast Seafoods and Ilwaco Landing each recorded their first offload of the 2021 commercial tuna season Monday, July 12 in Ilwaco.

Landings have been slow to start the season, fishermen and processors reported, which is par for the course. August has historically been the month with the heaviest commercial tuna landings for Oregon and Washington, with the season wrapping up around October, depending on weather.

“It’s a pretty typical start with fish scattered and in low numbers, but we are encouraged that the water temperature and sea life look more typical and are in good shape to hold large numbers (of tuna) as they come in,” said Tre-Fin Day-Boat Seafood co-founder Michael Domeyer, who recorded their first tuna of the season Saturday, July 17.

Read the full story at The Chinook Observer

Oregon Bill Aims to Fund Actions Supporting Fisheries, Communities in face of Changing Ocean

July 20, 2021 — Oregon is taking healthy oceans seriously. The state legislature passed House Bill 3114 in what proponents call a historic Oregon first in the fight against ocean acidification and hypoxia. It will help retain the successful sport and commercial fisheries on which coastal economies depend, proponents say.

It also shows Oregon leaders’ awareness of the importance of healthy oceans, according to a press release from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. Oregon is an epicenter for acidification and hypoxia and was one of the first places in the world to observe direct impacts of ocean change when oyster hatchery production collapsed in 2007 from ocean acidification.

Read the full story at Seafood News