Saving Seafood

Training Builds on Growing Popularity of Kelp Farming

May 14, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

For 28 years Riley Starks has fished near Lummi Island, Washington, netting Chinook, coho, sockeye, pink, and chum salmon. He also owns a bed and breakfast on the island that specializes in providing guests with unique skill-building experiences. They can smoke salmon and make jam and ikura, which is seasoned and cured salmon roe. He has observed many of the Puget Sound area’s 17 species of kelp—or brown macroalgae—while tending his nets.

He jumped at the chance to further build his own skills as part of intensive training in seaweed farming sponsored by Washington Sea Grant. In early February, he joined about 30 seaweed enthusiasts, including representatives of four tribes, seven military veterans, several commercial fishermen, and shellfish farmers. They took a three-day deep dive into the seaweed industry.

“The training was comprehensive and excellent,” Starks said. “I particularly appreciated the emphasis on the importance of working with the tribes early in the process—they have unique and important rights that must be respected.”

Seaweed farming has taken off in recent years in Maine and Alaska, which have dozens of farms and more in the works. Despite the increase in domestic production, the United States remains the fifth largest importer of seaweed for human consumption. Seaweed is added to many products, such as salsas, sauces, salads, seasonings, and pastas, used in restaurants and at home. That market demand, plus the health and environmental benefits of seaweed farming, have generated interest in Washington state. Uncertainty exists about the permitting process and access to local processing facilities, given the newness of kelp farming in local waters.

Read the full release here

June 10-19, 2020 PFMC Meeting Notice (Online Meeting) and Agenda Now Available

May 13, 2020 — The following was released by the Pacific Fishery Management Council:

The Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC or Council) and its advisory bodies will meet June 10-19, 2020 online only, to address issues related to groundfish, salmon, highly migratory species, coastal pelagic species, and administrative matters.

Please see the June 10-19, 2020 Council meeting notice on the Council’s website for further updates and details regarding webinar participation; schedule of advisory body meetings, our E-Portal for submitting public comments, and public comment deadlines. There will be no meetings schedule during the weekend of June 13‐14, however, the meeting will continue daily on Monday, June 15 at 8 a.m. through Friday, June 19, 2020.

Key agenda items for the meeting include Council considerations to:

  • Provide Recommendations to Upcoming International Forums Including U.S. Positions on Pacific Bluefin Tuna Catch Limits to the Inter‐American Tropical Tuna Commission and Receive an Update on the U.S./Canada Albacore Tuna Treaty
  • Adopt Terms of Reference for Southern Oregon/Northern California Coast Coho Endangered Species Act Consultation Update
  • Adopt Final Risk Assessment, Review Draft Southern Resident Killer Whale Workgroup Management Measure Recommendations, and Provide Guidance
  • Final Action to Adopt Management Measures and Exempted Fishing Permits for 2021‐2022 Groundfish Fisheries
  • Adopt Final List and Schedule of Groundfish Stocks for Assessment in 2021, the Stock Assessment and Methodology Review Terms of Reference (TOR) for Groundfish and Coastal Pelagic Species, and the Rebuilding TOR for Overfished Groundfish Stocks; Refine the Preliminary List of Stocks for 2023 Assessments
  • Review Draft Sardine Rebuilding Plan, Adopt a Range of Alternatives, and Consider a Preliminary Preferred Alternative, As Appropriate
  • Adopt Final Recommendations for Electronic Monitoring Program Regulatory Changes, Program Implementation, and Exempted Fishing Permits
  • Adopt Final Inseason Adjustments for 2020, Including Shorebased Carryover, as Necessary to Achieve but Not Exceed Annual Catch Limits and Other Management Objectives

Meetings of advisory bodies will also be conducted by online meetings based on the schedules in the agenda. There will be one opportunity for public comment daily in each of the online meetings.

Instructions for how to connect to the online meetings will be posted on the Council’s June 2020 Meeting webpage prior to the first day of the meeting.

Please note that the evolving public health situation regarding COVID‐19 may further affect the conduct of the June Council and advisory body meetings. Pacific Council staff will monitor COVID‐19 developments and will determine if there is a need for additional measures. If such measures are deemed necessary, Council staff will post notice of them prominently on our website (www.pcouncil.org). Potential meeting participants are encouraged to check the Pacific Council’s website frequently for such information and updates.

For further information:

Killer Whale Recovery Begins With Salmon Habitat, and That Begins With You

May 12, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Consider this Northwest twist on a familiar saying: “Give a killer whale a salmon, and it will eat for a day. Restore the habitat the salmon and whales depend on, and they will live for generations to come.” At NOAA Fisheries we are determined to get more Chinook salmon to the endangered Southern Resident killer whales, and that begins with more and better habitat.

It is up to everyone to maintain room for these magnificent creatures as our own footprint on the Puget Sound region grows ever bigger.Focusing on salmon habitat is essential.

Improving Salmon Habitat

Washington Governor Jay Inslee’s Orca Task Force emphasized habitat. It highlighted actions such as removing culverts that block salmon migration, protecting shoreline habitat, and building on other efforts throughout the region. We must work together to restore the streams where salmon spawn and grow, and protect the dwindling nearshore habitat that shelters and nourishes juveniles.

Improving fish passage through dams must continue. It is important to get salmon into their prime habitat.

Through partnerships, we’ve made progress in recent years on these goals. Restored habitat in the Skagit River estuary, funded in part by the Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund, now supports hundreds of thousands more Chinook salmon smolts. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is constructing fish passage at Mud Mountain Dam, renewing access to miles of habitat in the White River. The Nisqually Tribe led one of Puget Sound’s most ambitious tidal marsh restoration efforts in the Nisqually River Delta—just to name a few.

Read the full release here

Global farmed salmon producers significantly reduced antibiotic use over seven years, GSI report finds

May 12, 2020 — Seven years of data from more than 50 percent of the world’s farmed salmon sector is featured in the latest annual sustainability report from the Global Salmon Initiative (GSI).

Released on 11 May, the report’s data covers 15 key indicators – 10 environmental and five social – impacting salmon aquaculture operations worldwide. The new issuance, which highlights data through 2019, reveals some promising sector trends, GSI said, including a 50 percent reduction in the use of antibiotics over the past seven years, as well as a more holistic, collective approach to preventing and managing sea lice.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Salmon Advisory Subpanel to hold online meeting June 8, 2020

May 12, 2020 — The following was released by the Pacific Fishery Management Council:

The Pacific Fishery Management Council’s (Pacific Council)  Salmon Advisory Subpanel (SAS) will host an online meeting which is open to the public. The meeting will be held Monday, June 8, 2020, from 1:30 p.m. until 3:30 p.m., Pacific Daylight Time, or until business is complete.

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

For further information:

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

CALIFORNIA: Start of salmon season gives hope to fishing industry crushed by COVID-19

May 11, 2020 — The Bay Area’s fishing industry has been devastated by the coronavirus pandemic. But, local fishing companies are hoping salmon season will help change their fortunes.

The fishing industry says the closure of restaurants has been devastating. Now, they’re hoping they’ve weathered the brunt of the economic storms.

The fishing industry’s fates have always been ruled by nature, but long time fishermen and distributors say there’s no way they could have seen the economic blow the coronavirus pandemic would land on their industry.

Paul Johnson from Monterey Fish Market says in the days after the shelter-in-place order was put in place he had to lay off workers. Distributors say restaurants closed and stopped ordering fish, and in turn supply chains collapsed which devastated their bottom lines.

“Since COVID-19 everyone in the seafood business has just been crushed,” said Johnson. “Where there’s no profit, my business disappeared by 90% to 95%.”

Read the full story at KTVU

ALASKA: With pandemic procedures in place, Copper River fishery set to open

May 4, 2020 — With about two weeks until the Copper River salmon season, the industry is pulling together the details of how to execute a safe fishery amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Hundreds of vessels and workers flood into Prince William Sound each May for a chance to harvest the first fresh wild king salmon of the year, followed by the famous Copper River sockeye and the broader Prince William Sound pink salmon fisheries. However, with limited road access and health care facilities, city and state officials have been coordinating with the fleet and stakeholders about how to safely allow in deckhands, captains, and processing workers from Outside without inviting the pandemic to Cordova as well.

As of April 28, Cordova had not reported any positive tests for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. With no ferry service this winter and no connection to the road system, Cordova has limited physical contact with the rest of Alaska and the Lower 48 except during the fishing season. Bringing in seafood workers from outside the area poses a risk, but not doing so means the fishery — a vital economic driver in the region — wouldn’t be able to operate as normal.

Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s administration released Health Mandate 17 on April 23, offering guidelines for commercial fishermen to help control the spread of COVID-19. Fishermen often work in close quarters on boats and in harbors, as do processing workers. The mandate outlines requirements such as screening procedures for crew, quarantine for workers coming into the state, and prohibiting non-essential trips into town for non-local crew, among others.

Read the full story at the Anchorage Daily News

Monterey Bay: Squid are back in abundance

May 4, 2020 — Squid boats dotting the Central California coastline have been joined by salmon fishermen and women as both seasons are now underway. While the salmon fishery is just getting started up, the squid fishery is already showing signs of a promising season.

“I can tell you that the squid seems to be going really well,” said Moss Landing Harbormaster Tommy Razzeca, “we have a bunch of vessels working out of the harbor.”

The squid fishery is among the most lucrative and productive in the state, frequently valued in the double-digit millions. According to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, landings from California market squid (Doryteuthis opalescens) were over 34,000 short tons in the 2018-2019 season, generating more than $33 million in revenue.

But according to Diane Pleschner-Steele, the executive director of the California Wetfish Producers Association, these charming and elusive animals can be difficult to pin down. The statement has proven true in the last couple of years.

Read the full story at the Santa Cruz Sentinel

West Coast Salmon, Sardine Fisheries to Receive $18 million in NMFS Disaster Funding

May 4, 2020 — At long last, some disaster relief funding is headed to the West Coast for state and tribal salmon industries and the commercial sardine industry.

NMFS notified Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., this week of a more than $18 million award, which was appropriated in 2018. It is now up to the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission to distribute the funds according to state spending plans and in accordance with NMFS guidance and terms of the awards, NMFS said when notifying congressional staff.

Read the full story at Seafood News