Saving Seafood

Alaska’s Salmon Fisheries Confront COVID-19

September 1, 2020 — Northwest summers mean salmon on the grill. While Alaskans fill freezers with their own catch – our freezers are filled with enough salmon to last until next summer – those grilling elsewhere must buy either farm-raised salmon or wild sockeye salmon caught in Bristol Bay, Alaska.

Wild salmon return from the ocean to restart a life cycle that has persisted for millions of years. Wild Alaska sockeye (a favorite species of salmon) is caught over the course of a four- to six-week season, from mid-June through July, when the largest remaining wild salmon population returns to Bristol Bay.

These fish have been harvested by Alaska native peoples for thousands of years. Sockeye have been smoked, filleted, canned and frozen – and given, traded, sold and eaten – for generations.

Read the full story at U.S. News

California startup turns Bristol Bay salmon skins into a fried snack

August 26, 2020 — A flash-fried snack made from Bristol Bay sockeye salmon skins has been spawned by a Los Angeles-based company called Goodfish, which aims to “propel sustainable seafood into our mass-market consumer culture.”

It is the second venture for partners Justin Guilbert and Douglas Riboud, a well-financed duo who are committed to trailblazing brands that have “higher standards of sourcing, manufacturing, and social ethos.”

A decade ago they co-founded Harmless Harvest, the world’s first sustainably harvested, organic coconut water. That product, now found in 70,000 U.S. outlets, helped economize non-timber forest products made from renewable resources.

Read the full story at the Anchorage Daily News

Republican push to block controversial Alaskan gold mine gains the White House’s attention

August 21, 2020 — Federal approval of a controversial gold and copper mine in Alaska that would be the largest in North America may be put on hold after a small group of influential Republicans — including the president’s son, Fox News host Tucker Carlson, a wealthy Trump donor and one of the vice president’s former top aides — launched a full-court press to block the project.

The proposed Pebble Mine was on the verge of winning a key permit from the Trump administration despite concerns from environmentalists that it could significantly damage Alaska’s world-renowned sockeye salmon fishery in nearby Bristol Bay.

That also happens to be a fishing spot of Donald Trump Jr., who made an impassioned case against the mine to his father during an early August fundraiser he hosted at his Bridgehampton, N.Y., home. Andrew Sabin, a Trump donor who was at the seaside gathering, also told the president that the mine was a bad idea. And last week, Carlson argued against the proposed mine on his television show.

Read the full story at The Washington Post

Alaskans Own, Northline Seafoods donate 45,000 pounds of sockeye

August 17, 2020 — This week, two community supported fisheries announced a plan to give back to Alaska communities in need. Alaskans Own and Northline Seafoods are teaming up to deliver 45,000 pounds of Bristol Bay sockeye salmon to Alaska Native villages experiencing record-low salmon returns this year. The announcement follows on the heels of SeaShare’s announcement that its donation requests to food banks and other hunger-relief efforts have skyrocketed this year.

Both Alaskans Own and Northline Seafoods are based in Sitka and evolved from a devotion to sustaining fishing communities, which makes these donation initiatives a perfect match.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Bristol Bay catch lifts sluggish Alaska summer salmon season

July 29, 2020 — Alaska’s summer salmon season drifts into its second half as Bristol Bay’s sockeye fishery is winding down from another strong catch of around 38 million fish, leaving pink salmon to take center stage.

In his weekly report for the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute, Garrett Evridge said preliminary data from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game put average Bristol Bay sockeye size at just over five pounds, continuing a trend of larger runs of smaller fish in the world’s largest sockeye salmon fishery. Total state-wide catch for sockeye sat at 42 million fish, which was on par with 10-year averages, according to data compiled by Evridge.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

ALASKA: Bristol Bay setnetters get their hands dirty (and sometimes lose a finger) to put salmon on your dinner table

July 27, 2020 — Most Alaskans know that commercial fishing is very important to the economy of our state. A small number of folks understand the ins and outs of a commercial gillnet operation. Fewer still understand what a setnet fishery is.

When one speaks of the gillnet fishery, the picture that comes to mind is one of a picturesque vessel with a long line of glistening white floats strung out behind. That is a semi-accurate depiction.

The setnet fishery bears little resemblance to that picture.

Setnetting is hard, dirty work — at least in Bristol Bay. If you are wearing name-brand raingear, few would recognize it because it would be covered in mud.

Read the full story at the Anchorage Daily News

Sockeye ex-vessel prices in Bristol Bay, Alaska drop nearly 50 percent

July 24, 2020 — Major processors in Bristol Bay, Alaska, began posting base prices at USD 0.70 (EUR 0.60) per pound, just over half of last season’s price of USD 1.35 (EUR 1.16). Bristol Bay’s KDLG radio station reported that Peter Pan Seafoods, Trident Seafoods, Red Salmon/North Pacific Seafoods, and OBI Seafoods had all announced their price, with processing giant Silver Bay Seafoods yet to post.

Once one of the major processors in Bristol Bay announces the base price, the others typically follow suit. If a processor announces a lower price than a competitor, they risk angering their fleet and losing boats to other companies.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

ALASKA: Bristol Bay Catch 31M Sockeye, Total Run Over 47M, Escapement Reached in Most Major Rivers

July 20, 2020 — As of two days ago, Bristol Bay landings of sockeye salmon have reached 30.7 million sockeye, with a total run clocking at 47.37 million sockeye. The run appears to be about a week later than historic timing indicates (with a peak during the week of July 4) and slightly more than pre-season estimates of 49 million sockeye, based on in-season Port Moller Test Fishery data.

The Bristol Bay salmon season is managed first by escapement, which looks good in all the major rivers. The highest producing system so far is Naknek-Kvichak with 11.13 million sockeye caught to date. The forecast for that three-river system is 12.34 million. Escapement there has been 9.43 million, nearly 3 million more than the pre-season forecast of 6.67 million.

Read the full story at Seafood News

New research reveals surprising differences between salmon species — helping consumers decide which ones to serve for dinner

July 9, 2020 — It is well known that salmon provides a range of valuable nutrients, including omega-3 fatty acids and protein. But it can be confusing for consumers to know which species offers the highest level of nutrition when they are faced with several different types of salmon at the grocery store.

There are also mixed messages when it comes to farmed salmon, with some people believing it may contain contaminants and is not as nutritious as wild-caught fish.

Consumers can’t look to labels for clarity since nutritional information is not required on seafood packaging in Canada and the United States.

Stefanie Colombo, an assistant professor of Aquaculture at Dalhousie University’s Agriculture Campus, wanted to shed some light on the murky area by exploring the nutritional differences between salmon. Her research, published recently in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Research, produced some surprising findings she hopes may dispel misunderstandings about farmed salmon.

“I get a lot of questions from people I meet about farmed salmon and many people have the idea that it’s not good for you, that it’s full of fat and contaminants,” says Dr. Colombo, who also holds the Canada Research Chair in Aquaculture Nutrition. “I knew these were misconceptions, but I wanted to know how it compared to the other types of salmon that were out there.

Read the full story at Dal News

Alaska salmon: Bristol Bay opens with Pebble Mine decision pending

June 30, 2020 — The biggest red salmon run in the world is building at Bristol Bay.

Up to 50 million fish could surge into its eight river systems in coming weeks, on par with past seasons. When it’s all done, the fishery will provide nearly half the global supply of wild sockeye salmon.

But this summer is different.

Beyond the restrictions and fears and economic chaos caused by covid-19, fishermen are waiting to learn if the development of a massive gold and copper mine that’s been hanging over their heads for two decades will get a greenlight from the federal government. The news is expected to come at the height of the summer season.

In mid-July, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is expected to unveil its federal record of decision on the permit application by Northern Dynasty of Vancouver, Canada, to build the Pebble Mine at the sprawling mosaic of headwaters that provide the spawning and rearing grounds for the region’s salmon.

Read the full story at National Fisherman