Saving Seafood

West Coast Whiting Season to Open May 15; Pandemic Creating Uncertainties

April 20, 2020 — This year’s high-volume Pacific hake fishery will open on time, but it’s already been a rocky road to set the coastwide total allowable catch for the U.S. and Canada.

Fishery managers, scientists and industry representatives from both countries met in March, as usual, to review the stock assessment and negotiate a coastwide TAC that would support fisheries in both areas. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, negotiations were held via webinar. This year, for the first time in the history of the whiting treaty, the countries couldn’t agree.

Read the full story at Seafood News

NMFS suspends West Coast observer requirements

April 17, 2020 — Most requirements for observers aboard West Coast fishing vessels have been temporarily suspended through April, following the lead of NMFS’ decision to do the same earlier for Northeast fisheries in the face of coronavirus outbreaks.

The agency announced the decision Wednesday, April 15, hours after a recommendation from the Pacific Fishery Management Council, and also cited new policies of monitoring service providers to address health and safety concerns for their observers and fishing crews.

A NMFS notice to industry issued by the office of Ryan Wulff, the assistant Pacific regional administrator for sustainable fisheries, said the two-week hiatus was requested by contractors who provide observer services, and are now implementing health guidelines to address concerns raised by fishermen and plant operators.

Read the full story at National Fisherman

Coastal Pelagic Species Management Team to hold online meeting May 7, 2020

April 17, 2020 — The following was released by the Pacific Fishery Management Council:

The Pacific Fishery Management Council will convene an online work session of its Coastal Pelagic Species Management Team (CPSMT) to review the draft Range of Alternatives relative to the Pacific sardine rebuilding plan.  This online meeting is open to the public, and will be held Thursday, May 7, 2020, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Pacific Daylight Time, or until business for the day has been completed.

Please see the CPSMT online meeting notice on the Council’s website for participation details.

For further information:

  • Please contact Pacific Fishery Management Council staff officer Kerry Griffin at 503-820-2409; toll-free 1-866-806-7204.

As RFMOs waive observer requirements, NGOs caution against permanence

April 16, 2020 — As fisheries councils in the U.S. and abroad begin relaxing observer requirements in order to meet safety needs during the COVID-19 pandemic, multiple NGOs have issued a joint statement cautioning against those relaxed requirements becoming permanent.

The letter comes as the National Marine Fisheries Service announced that it is suspending West Coast observer coverage, in response to a recommendation made by the Pacific Fishery Management Council. The council suggested in a letter to the NMFS that the waiver could “match the duration of ‘shelter-at-home’ or similar orders by the governors of Washington, Oregon, and/or California.”

Read the full story at Seafood Source

PFMC: Notice of availability: Salmon Preseason Report III

April 16, 2020 — The following was released by the Pacific Fishery Management Council:

The following document has been posted to the Council’s website:

Preseason Report III describes the 2020 ocean salmon fishery management measures adopted by the Council at their April 2020 meeting for submission to the U.S. Secretary of Commerce and characterizes their expected impacts on ocean salmon fisheries and the stocks which support them.

For further information

  • Please contact Pacific Fishery Management Council staff officer Robin Ehlke at 503-820-2410; toll-free 1-866-806-7204.

West Coast Industry Frustrated with NMFS’ Inaction to Waive Observers

April 15, 2020 — The West Coast groundfish fleet has been pushing for relief from onboard fishery observers and shoreside catch monitors due to the coronavirus, but NMFS’ message to the fleet: No.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council met via webinar last week and one of the major points of contention was observers on fishing vessels in this era of COVID-19 that includes stay at home and social distancing orders.

Read the full story at Seafood News

PFMC Requests Blanket Waiver on Observer Coverage for West Coast Fisheries

April 15, 2020 — Last week, the Pacific Fishery Management Council unanimously voted (with National Marine Fisheries Service abstaining) to send a letter to NMFS requesting a blanket waiver for observer coverage in all West Coast fisheries with Federal observers, as well as catch monitors in the groundfish IFQ shoreside monitoring program. The letter was sent today. The Council requests that the waiver remain in place as long as the shelter in place orders are in effect for Washington, Oregon, and California.

“In light of the rapid spread of COVID-19 throughout the U.S. since [waiving observer coverage in some situations], the uncertain rate of infection in in many areas, and especially of new information on asymptomatic transmission of the virus, we urge you to now adopt stronger, more proactive protections for public health and the safety of fishermen, observers, and others with whom they have contact,” the letter states. “In particular, the Council requests that NMFS temporarily suspend federally authorized at-sea observer coverage in all West Coast fisheries (including at-sea sectors) and trawl catch share program shoreside catch monitors.”

Read the letter here

PFMC: April 2020 Council Decision Summary Document

April 15, 2020 — The following was released by the Pacific Fishery Management Council:

The Pacific Fishery Management Council met April 5-10, 2020 via RingCentral webinar. The April 2020 Council Meeting Decision Summary Document contains the highlights of significant decisions made during that meeting. Results of agenda items that do not reach a level of highlight significance are typically not described in the Decision Summary Document.

  • Visit the April 2020 meeting webpage and look under “Key Documents” to download the Decision Summary document
  • If you have questions regarding the April 2020 meeting or the Decision Summary document, please contact Council staff at 503-820-2280; toll free 1-866-806-7204
  • Media inquiries, please contact:  Ms. Jennifer Gilden at 503-820-2418

Read the full release here

WASHINGTON: Coronavirus concerns play out in fisheries

April 14, 2020 — Fishermen are looking at a reduced ocean salmon season this spring because of low salmon returns. But the industry is also hoping to buy time for seafood markets that are reeling from the impact of the coronavirus.

The industry has had to shift how it does business and many are still adapting as local restrictions due to the pandemic shutter usual seafood outlets.

The markets are slow now, but they may reinvent themselves, said Michael Burner, the deputy director of the Pacific Fishery Management Council. “There is still a demand for seafood,” he said.

The council recently adopted ocean salmon season recommendations for commercial and recreational fishermen for most of the Pacific coast, which include “some very restrictive seasons,” according to Phil Anderson, the council’s chairman.

Read the full story at The Daily Astorian

Pacific council recommends keeping California sardine catch at 4,000t in 2020

April 13, 2020 — Sardine landings off the coast of the US state of California will stay the same in 2020 if harvesters catch all they are permitted under the limits recommended by the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC), the California Wetfish Producers Association (CWPA) reports.

Despite concerns expressed by environmental groups, the PFMC this week approved repeating the 4,000 metric ton catch target of 2019 in the new season, which begins on July 1, 2020 and ends June 30, 2021, according to a press release from CWPA. A meeting and vote on the matter was held via webinar as a result of COVID-19 concerns.

The decision still requires approval and publication in the Federal Register by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS).

Read the full story at Undercurrent News