January 24, 2025 — San Diego scientists are collecting samples of ash from California’s coast to measure how toxins and urban debris from the Los Angeles wildfires could affect nearby fisheries and the food webs of local ecosystems.
Washington state officers cite group for illegal crab harvesting
January 24, 2025 — Wildlife officers from the U.S. state of Washington caught a group illegally harvesting crabs from the Puget Sound, citing them for multiple violations.
According to a Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) social media post, officers spotted a group harvesting crab late in the evening off the pier in the city of Mukilteo, just north of Seattle. The officers followed one of the harvesters as they brought crab back to their vehicle, where an inspection revealed dozens of crabs inside a bag and a cooler.
Seafood companies rally to help fire-affected California communities
January 22, 2025 — As wildfires continue to affect communities around Los Angeles, California, U.S.A., and as new ones have broken out to the south in San Diego, several seafood companies are rallying to help out by donating food and supplies.
Santa Monica Seafood, the largest seafood wholesaler in the area, is donating lobsters to Bracken’s Kitchen, a charitable food organization, so it can provide Lobster Mac & Cheese meals to those in need, according to President and CEO Roger O’Brien.
Hydroelectric dams on Oregon’s Willamette River kill salmon. Congress says it’s time to consider shutting them down
January 16, 2025 — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said it could make hydroelectric dams on Oregon’s Willamette River safe for endangered salmon by building gigantic mechanical traps and hauling baby fish downstream in tanker trucks. The Corps started pressing forward over objections from fish advocates and power users who said the plan was costly and untested.
That was until this month, when President Joe Biden signed legislation ordering the Corps to put its plans on hold and consider a simpler solution: Stop using the dams for electricity.
The new law, finalized on Jan. 4, follows reporting from Oregon Public Broadcasting and ProPublica in 2023 that underscored risks and costs associated with the Corps’ plan. The agency is projected to lose $700 million over 30 years generating hydropower, and a scientific review found that the type of fixes the Corps is proposing would not stop the extinction of threatened salmon.
The mandate says the Corps needs to shelve designs for its fish collectors — essentially massive floating vacuums expected to cost $170 million to $450 million each — until it finishes studying what the river system would look like without hydropower. The Corps must then include that scenario in its long-term designs for the river.
CALIFORNIA: Los Angeles seafood industry takes hit after California fires destroy homes and businesses
January 13, 2025 — The seafood industry in Los Angeles, California, U.S.A., is stepping up to help victims of devastating wildfires after multiple fast-moving blazes destroyed homes, restaurants, and grocery stores – including some long-running seafood establishments.
Malibu, California-based seafood eatery Reel Inn, which has been open for more than 40 years in Topanga State Park, was completely destroyed, according to the Los Angeles Times. Owners Andy and Teddy Leonard were getting ready to renegotiate the restaurant’s lease with state officials, and now, they worry “they won’t let us rebuild,” they told the newspaper.
Microplastics found in many of Oregon’s most popular fish
January 10, 2025 — Microplastics — tiny synthetic particles shed from clothing, packaging and other sources — are prevalent in many of the fish species eaten in Oregon, per a new study.
Why it matters: Ingestion of microplastics has been linked to cardiovascular risks and other adverse health impacts.
Driving the news: Researchers at Portland State University looked to quantify how many microplastic particles were making their way into the edible tissues of commonly eaten fish in Oregon.
WASHINGTON: Washington State bans net-pen aquaculture
January 9, 2025 — Commercial finfish pen aquaculture appears finished in Washington State, after the Board of Natural Resources voted Jan. 7 to ban the industry.
The vote was a victory for Washington State’s Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz, who pushed for strict limitations on leasing state tidelands for aquaculture.
“Avoiding impacts is our legal and moral responsibility,” Franz said, according to the Seattle Times. “I ask why did we ever allow this…I am asking the board to learn from the past and the effects of our decision.”
WASHINGTON: US state of Washington reaffirms ban on net pen aquaculture
January 8, 2025 — The State Board of Natural Resources for the U.S. state of Washington has voted to finalize a ban on finfish farming in state waters, codifying a ban that was first implemented unilaterally in 2022.
Momentum for a state ban on net pen aquaculture grew after the 2017 collapse of a Cypress Island fish farm operated by aquaculture company Cooke, which released hundreds of thousands of Atlantic salmon into state waters. Cooke was fined for the collapse, and ultimately, the state legislature passed a law ending Atlantic salmon farming in the state.
San Francisco fisherman hid illegally caught species
January 7, 2025 — Last week at San Francisco’s Pier 45, a commercial fisherman found themselves in hot water after being caught with over 2,000 pounds of unlawfully caught fish. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) announced Monday that the fisherman had gone to great lengths to deceive authorities, hiding fillets of salmon behind a false wall on their trawl boat.
The bust came after a period of surveillance by CDFW officers, who observed the fisherman unloading burlap sacks from the boat into a vehicle. The situation escalated when the fisherman attempted to hide the fish at a restaurant and evade capture. However, CDFW officers were quick to locate and apprehend them.
The haul included several species, including halibut, sole, sanddabs, and salmon. When landed, none of this catch had been reported as required for commercial fishing, a serious breach of regulations. Notably, all recreational and commercial salmon fishing in California has been prohibited since 2023 to aid in the recovery of dwindling salmon populations.
Further investigation revealed an additional 2,365 pounds of halibut, which authorities seized. The confiscated halibut was later sold, with proceeds donated to the Fish and Game Preservation Fund, showing the state’s commitment to conservation.
US government confirms fishery disasters took place in California salmon runs
January 6, 2025 — The U.S. Department of Commerce has determined that fishery disasters affected multiple California salmon runs, including the 2024 Sacramento River fall Chinook salmon fishery and the 2024 Klamath River fall Chinook salmon fishery.
The official determinations open up those fisheries to federal financial relief, which will be allocated to the state and Tribal governments to distribute to affected fishers and businesses.
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