Saving Seafood

Bipartisan bill in US Congress aims to better protect forage fish

April 30, 2021 — Two U.S. senators on Thursday, 29 April, filed a bill that calls on the federal government to increase protections for smaller fish that serve as an essential food source for ecosystems across the country.

U.S. Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut) and Roy Blunt (R-Missouri) have filed S.1484, called The Forage Fish Conservation Act. The legislation would amend the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act to mandate that that the U.S. Secretary of Commerce come up with a definition for forage fish as well as take steps to improve monitoring and management for fish that serve as prey to larger fish, birds, and other mammals.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Seacoast Leaders And Commerce Secretary Talk Visa Workers, COVID Funding, Climate Change

April 27, 2021 — Seacoast tourism and business leaders want federal officials to approve more foreign visa workers and economic aid to support what they hope will be a busy summer on the tail end of the pandemic.

They spoke at a roundtable Monday in Hampton Beach with U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen.

Raimondo, the former governor of Rhode Island, was on her first official trip as U.S. Commerce Secretary. She asked what the Seacoast wants out of the latest round of pandemic stimulus money and President Biden’s proposed jobs and infrastructure plan.

New Hampshire Lodging and Restaurant Association CEO Mike Somers said he’s optimistic for any small tourism businesses that made it this far through the pandemic. But he said continued federal support – for visa workers and other aid – will be crucial in the next few months.

To lower emissions and mitigate the warming trend, Raimondo said she’s confident the nation can scale up offshore wind energy in the Gulf of Maine without hurting the region’s fisheries.

She was asked about it by David Goethel, a Seabrook-based commercial fisherman and member of the Responsible Offshore Development Alliance, a fisheries advocacy group with concerns about wind growth.

Raimondo said she was proud of how Rhode Island worked with its fishing industry to build what’s currently the nation’s only utility-scale wind farm, Block Island Wind.

“They were super anxious, as you are, about what would happen to fish migration patterns when you put the turbines in the middle of the ocean,” she said. “It worked out because we listened to them and we really looked hard at all the data.”

Read the full story at New Hampshire Public Radio

Notice of availability: Salmon Preseason Report III (April 2021)

April 23, 2021 — 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 2021 ocean salmon fishery management measures adopted by the Council at their April 2021 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.

NOAA awards contract to rebuild the agency’s Ketchikan, Alaska port facility

April 8, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA:

NOAA has awarded a contract to Ahtna Infrastructure & Technologies, LLC for a project to revitalize its port facility in Ketchikan, Alaska.

Under the terms of the $18,771,041 contract, the Alaska-based company will make major improvements, including the construction of a new office building, large floating pier, steel access trestle, and updated power and water utility systems for servicing visiting ships. The project will begin with the removal of the existing pier and related structures.

“This NOAA port revitalization project is a great example of building back better by investing in modern and sustainable infrastructure,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo. “The improvements to NOAA’s Ketchikan facility will enable the agency to support safe navigation and commerce in Alaska and the region more effectively than ever.”

Upon completion of this project, NOAA will have a fully functioning homeport in Alaska capable of supporting Ketchikan-based NOAA Ship Fairweather and other visiting NOAA and government vessels. NOAA expects the project to be completed by December 2022.

“We look forward to serving Alaska and the nation from this greatly improved facility,” said Rear Adm. Nancy Hann, deputy director of the NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps and NOAA’s Office of Marine and Aviation Operations (OMAO). “This represents a major milestone in NOAA’s effort to recapitalize the agency’s fleet and supporting infrastructure.”

NOAA’s fleet of research and survey ships is operated, managed and maintained by OMAO, which is composed of civilians and officers with the NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps, one of the nation’s eight uniformed services.

Read the full release here

Washington Delegation Pushes Department of Commerce to Accelerate State’s Fishery Disaster Requests

April 6, 2021 — The entire Washington congressional delegation issued a letter to Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo asking to expedite the department’s review of disaster declarations for nine pending federal economic fishery disaster declaration requests for salmon fisheries in the state.

“Salmon fisheries are essential for the economy, culture, and way of life of many coastal and Tribal communities in Washington state,” the members wrote to Raimondo. “Fisheries are economic drivers throughout the Pacific Northwest. Prompt action by the Department of Commerce is a critical step needed to secure financial relief for these communities.”

Read the full story at Seafood News

NPRB Seeking Fishing Industry Representative Nominations. Deadline to submit is April 15th

March 11, 2021 — The following was released by the North Pacific Research Board:

The North Pacific Research Board is seeking nominations to fill the twentieth seat on the Board. This seat represents the interests of the fishing industry and becomes available on June 1, 2021 for a three-year term. The fishing industry seat is nominated by the Board and subject to approval and appointment by the Secretary of Commerce.

The North Pacific Research Board was created by Congress to recommend marine research activities to the U.S. Secretary of Commerce, to be supported by earnings of the Environmental Improvement and Restoration Fund. NPRB promotes a comprehensive science program of the highest caliber to provide a better understanding of the North Pacific, Bering Sea, and Arctic Ocean ecosystems and their fisheries. The Board gives priority to cooperative research projects that are designed to address pressing fishery management or marine ecosystem information needs.

Enabling legislation defines the membership of NPRB to include ten ex-officio members representing various agencies and organizations, nine members that are nominated by the governors of the states of Alaska, Washington, and Oregon, and the twentieth member who is nominated by the Board itself and is appointed by the Secretary of Commerce. This twentieth member represents fishing interests, is appointed for a non-renewable three-year term, and serves on the NPRB Executive Committee.

The Board generally meets twice each year (spring and fall). In the annual round of activities, board members determine the content and amount of funding available for annual requests for proposals (RFPs) as well as design and select integrated ecosystem research programs, long-term monitoring programs, and graduate student research awards. The Board is assisted by a Science Panel, an Advisory Panel, and a small staff. While there is no pay associated with serving on the Board, expenses for travel, food, and lodging are covered.

The following criteria will be used by the Board in making a selection from among nominees for the fishing industry seat:

  • Knowledge or experience regarding commercial fishing, processing, or marketing of fish in one or more commercial fisheries off Alaska;
  • Knowledge of or experience in management, conservation, and stewardship of natural resources, including related interactions with industry, government bodies, academic institutions, and public agencies;
  • Experience in a state or regional organization whose members participate in an Alaska fishery;
  • Experience serving as a member of the Alaska Board of Fisheries, North Pacific Fishery Management Council, NPRB, or their associated committees;
  • Knowledge or experience regarding marine research organizations and activities off Alaska; and
  • Minimum potential for conflict of interest in funding decisions of the Board.

Read the full release here

Gina Raimondo confirmed as US Commerce Department secretary

March 4, 2021 — By an 84-15 vote on the afternoon of Tuesday, 2 March, the U.S. Senate voted to confirm Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo as the next U.S. secretary of Commerce. In that position, Raimondo will be the top official in the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden to oversee the federal government’s policies concerning the fishing industry.

Raimondo was nominated for the position on 7 January and testified before the Senate on 27 January. She was sworn into her new position in the evening of Wednesday, 3 March.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Biden’s Commerce Secretary, Gina Raimondo, Confirmed By Senate

March 2, 2021 — The Senate confirmed Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo on Tuesday as the next secretary of the U.S. Commerce Department.

With a 84-15 confirmation vote that was delayed by a procedural move in February by Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, Raimondo is set to lead one of the federal government’s most eclectic departments, which includes the Census Bureau, close to two months after President Biden announced the Democratic governor’s nomination.

As secretary, Raimondo is set to take on a portfolio of agencies that also includes the Minority Business Development Agency, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Raimondo, the first woman to lead Rhode Island, is cutting short her second term as governor of the country’s smallest state to join the Biden administration.

During the confirmation process, Raimondo emphasized the need for the department to address how the coronavirus pandemic has ravaged the economy and underscored structural inequities facing people of color and families with lower incomes.

Read the full story at NPR

NFI’s John Connelly: US seafood industry faces whole new set of challenges under Biden

February 17, 2021 — Donald Trump’s presidency was a mixed bag for the U.S. seafood industry, according to National Fisheries Institute President John Connelly. Now almost a month into the presidency of Joe Biden, the industry faces a whole different set of challenges, Connelly told SeafoodSource.

Connelly is optimistic Biden will be less aggressive in the use of tariffs than Trump, and he said he’s comforted by the fact that Biden’s picks for U.S. Commerce secretary and U.S. trade representative, Gina Raimondo and Katherine Tai – both of whom are awaiting confirmation votes by the U.S. Senate – are familiar with the seafood industry. But Biden’s environmental initiatives may prove thorny for the industry, and it remains to be seen whether the administration will prioritize the reopening of the foodservice sector, Connelly said.

Read the full story at Seafood Source