Saving Seafood

Executive order may miss fishing regulations

March 2, 2017 — An executive order by President Donald Trump designed to radically cut back on federal regulations has spurred disagreement among fishermen about how it will affect them – and lawmakers and regulators aren’t sure what the answer is.

Groups that represent both commercial and recreational fishermen are divided over whether President Trump’s “one in, two out” approach to federal regulations will benefit their industry, harm it or not affect it at all.

In North Carolina, Jerry Schill, executive director of the N.C. Fisheries Association, an industry advocacy group dedicated to promoting the state’s seafood industry, said he’s been exchanging emails with fishing interests from all around the country about the matter.

“The consensus seems to be that it doesn’t affect the commercial fishing regulations, although I wish it did,” Mr. Schill said. “If the administration or others in (Washington) D.C. don’t know if it affects the fishing regulations, and the attorneys that represent commercial fishing suggest that it doesn’t, then it more than likely won’t. Specifically, we’ve been watching the dialogue with the Fisheries Survival Fund.”

The FSF is a fund established in 1998 to ensure the long-term sustainability of the Atlantic sea scallop fishery. The fund works with academic institutions and independent scientific experts to foster cooperative research and help sustain the fishery.

Read the full story at the Carteret County News-Times

Commercial fisheries disaster opens door to federal relief for Washington communities

January 24, 2017 — Commercial fishing communities along the central coast of Washington and some areas of Puget Sound are eligible for federal disaster funding because of poor fishing in 2015 and 2016. Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzer named nine fisheries groups or areas in an announcement Wednesday, including Westport and Willapa Bay non-treaty commercial coho fisheries.

Congress still needs to appropriate the funds for the relief program.

Each of the nine fisheries “experienced sudden and unexpected large decreases in fish stock biomass due to unusual ocean and climate conditions,” the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said in a news release. “This decision enables fishing communities to seek disaster relief assistance from Congress.”

Along with Grays Harbor and Willapa Bay coho, other Washington commercial fisheries benefiting from the declaration include:

– Quinault Indian Nation Grays Harbor and Queets River coho salmon fishery (2015)

– Ocean salmon troll fishery (2016)

– Fraser River Makah Tribe and Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe sockeye salmon fisheries (2014)

– Nisqually Indian Tribe, Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe, Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe, and Squaxin Island Tribe South Puget Sound salmon fisheries (2015)

– Quileute Tribe Dungeness crab fishery (2015-2016)

Read the full story at the Spokesman-Review

SOUTHEASTERN FISHERIES ASSOCIATION: Eat More Sustainable Seafood for Health and Taste Benefits

January 20, 2017 — The following was released by the Southeastern Fisheries Association (SFA):

SFA President Peter Jarvis Says: “Eat More Sustainable Seafood for Health and Taste Benefits”

WASHINGTON — Soon after he’s sworn in as the 45th President of the United States, Donald Trump will dine on Maine lobster, Gulf shrimp, and Seven Hills Angus beef, to name a few dishes.

These foods are all on the menu for the inaugural luncheon, a long-standing tradition in which the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies hosts a meal for the president and vice president at the Capitol following the inaugural address.

The committee organized its first luncheon in 1953, when lawmakers welcomed President Dwight Eisenhower for creamed chicken, baked ham and potato puffs in the Capitol’s Old Senate Chamber.

Dishes, consumed between toasts, gift presentations and speeches, often encompass foods from the home states of the new leaders, though Trump’s menu owes heavily to California, not his home state of New York or Vice President-elect Mike Pence’s state of Indiana.

President Barack Obama’s 2013 luncheon boasted a menu of steamed lobster, grilled bison and apple pie.

Trump’s, which will be held in the Statuary Hall, will feature three courses.

The first, Maine lobster and Gulf shrimp with saffron sauce and peanut crumble, will be accompanied by a J. Lohr 2013 Arroyo Vista Chardonnay.

The Gulf shrimp may be a tribute to Florida, where Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort is located and which the President-elect has called his “second home.”

Read the original story at CNN

Disaster Declared for West Coast Fisheries

January 23, 2017 — SEATTLE — Nine West Coast salmon and crab fisheries have been declared a disaster, allowing fishing communities to seek relief from the federal government.

Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker declared the disaster on Jan. 18.

Nine salmon and crab fisheries in Alaska, California and Washington suffered “sudden and unexpected large decreases in fish stock biomass or loss of access due to unusual ocean and climate conditions,” the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said.

The fisheries include Gulf of Alaska pink salmon, California Dungeness and rock crab, and several tribal salmon fisheries in Washington.

Read the full story at Courthouse News

Alaska’s US senators push Trump nominees to guard fisheries, rural areas while cutting regulations

January 23, 2017 — WASHINGTON — Alaska Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan pressed Cabinet nominees to consider Alaska’s uniqueness, the difficulties of rural areas and the nation’s largest fisheries at a spate of confirmation hearings this week.

Senators can publicly question President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet selections when they sit on the committee holding a confirmation hearing. For Murkowski, that means the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, which held the first of two confirmation hearings for Health and Human Services nominee Rep. Tom Price, R-Ga., on Wednesday, and a hearing for Education nominee Betsy DeVos on Tuesday night.

For Sullivan, that meant a hearing for Commerce secretary nominee Wilbur Ross, and the Environmental Protection Agency administrator-to-be, Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt.

Several of those nominees faced controversy and opposition from Democrats. Hallways were packed with supporters and protesters Wednesday in a Senate office building where three hearings were happening simultaneously.

Murkowski pressed her nominees on how they would adjust some their conservative stances to meet her needs for rural and Native populations in Alaska. Sullivan focused on the state’s fishing industry. Both urged peeling back regulations they said are onerous and often a barrier to economic growth or healthy public services.

Read the full story at the Alaska Dispatch News

Fisheries disasters declared for 9 species on United States West Coast

January 19, 2017 — The United States Secretary of Commerce declared nine salmon and crab fisheries in Alaska, California and Washington as fisheries disasters on Wednesday, 18 January, opening federal coffers for relief assistance.

Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker announced each of the fisheries covered by the decision had “experienced sudden and unexpected large decreases in fish stock biomass due to unusual ocean and climate conditions.”

The newly designated fisheries disasters are:

In Alaska:
• Gulf of Alaska pink salmon fisheries (2016)

In California:
• California Dungeness and rock crab fishery (2015-2016)
• Yurok Tribe Klamath River Chinook salmon fishery (2016)

In Washington:
• Fraser River Makah Tribe and Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe sockeye salmon fisheries (2014)
• Grays Harbor and Willapa Bay non-treaty coho salmon fishery (2015)
• Nisqually Indian Tribe, Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe, Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe, and Squaxin Island Tribe South Puget Sound salmon fisheries (2015)
• Quinault Indian Nation Grays Harbor and Queets River coho salmon fishery (2015)
• Quileute Tribe Dungeness crab fishery (2015-2016)
• Ocean salmon troll fishery (2016)

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Northeast Pacific is the region producing most Marine Stewardship Council fish

December 23, 2016 — The Northeast Pacific fishing area annually produces a total of 2.6 million metric tons of certified seafood from Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) sustainable fishing standard, representing 83 per cent of the total catch of the area.

The MSC certified seafood from the area — covering Northern California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea waters — ranks first for the percentage and includes MSC certified salmon, albacore tuna, pink shrimp, hake, halibut, sablefish, Pacific cod, and Alaska pollock fisheries.

Another North American fishing area, the Northwest Atlantic — waters from North Carolina, the US mid-Atlantic, New England, and Eastern Canada — ranked seventh globally with 32 per cent (580,000 metric tons) of the total catch being MSC certified.

This area is home to MSC certified swordfish, spiny dogfish, sea scallop, lobster, Acadian redfish, haddock, pollock, Atlantic halibut, snow crab, Northern shrimp and Arctic surf clam fisheries.

The analysis and ranking was done as part of the recently published MSC Annual Report 2015-2016, which also reported that MSC certified fisheries caught more than 9.3 million metric tons of seafood in 2015-16, representing almost 10 per cent of the total global wild caught seafood by volume.

The global volume of MSC certified catch has increased by 6 per cent since 2014-15, while the MSC certified supply chain has climbed 16 per cent over the same period.

Between April 2015 and March 2016, the number of processors, restaurants and caterers with MSC Chain of Custody grew from 2,879 to 3,334 companies, operating in 37,121 sites across 82 countries. More than 20,000 products now carry the blue MSC label and can be traced back to fisheries which meet the MSC’s world-class standard for sustainable fishing.

Commenting on the results, Brian Perkins, MSC Regional Director – Americas, said, “When people purchase MSC certified seafood, their choice supports fishermen around the world who are working hard to meet the world’s most rigorous standard for environmental sustainability.”

“While we’re proud of the MSC certified fisheries here in North America, it takes a global effort to safeguard seafood supplies for the future,” pointed out Perkins.

For her part, Christina Burridge, Executive Director, B.C. Seafood Alliance and Chair, International Association of Sustainable Fisheries, stressed that fishermen on the Pacific Coast of the US and Canada are proud to be recognized by the MSC for their responsible stewardship of a renewable food resource for their countries and the world.

Read the full story at Fish & Information Services

NOAA awards $8 million for coastal resiliency investments across the nation

December 22, 2016 — NOAA Fisheries is pleased to announce $8 million in recommended funding for 11 shovel-ready coastal resiliency projects in various sites across the country. These awards are part of NOAA’s continued commitment to build resilient coastal ecosystems, communities, and economies.

“Americans who live on the coast face enormous risks when Mother Nature strikes; however, it is natural infrastructure—wetlands, marshes, floodplains, and coral reefs—that often serve as our best defense. The selected projects will restore our natural barriers and help keep people, communities, and businesses safe,” said Eileen Sobeck, assistant NOAA administrator for Fisheries.

Six projects aim to restore critical wetlands, marshes, and floodplains in Massachusetts, California, Washington, and Hawaii, which increase resiliency and offer flood protection for homes and businesses:

  • The Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation will receive $250,000 to restore floodplain connectivity in the Teanaway Community Forest which will reduce peak flows and recharge groundwater for the nearby community and enhance streams for salmon by reducing water temperatures.
  • Ducks Unlimited will receive $1.5 million to transform 710 acres of former salt evaporation ponds in South San Francisco Bay into marsh and upland habitat which will increase resiliency to sea level rise and flooding.
  • The Nature Conservancy will receive $721,095 to support coastal habitat restoration on the Hawaiian island of O’ahu through invasive species removal, native species replanting, and traditional management practices to strengthen ecological and community resilience.
  • Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe will receive $1 million to restore the tidal connection between Kilisut Harbor and Oak Bay, Washington. This effort will provide passage for endangered juvenile salmon, and enhance cultural traditions of fishing and clam digging.
  • The Redwood Community Action Agency will receive $1,091,045 in funds to support a multi-phase project to enhance Martin Slough in Northern California which will reduce flooding on surrounding public and agricultural land and improve habitat for threatened salmonids.
  • The Town of Yarmouth, Massachusetts will receive $633,044 to replace a degraded and undersized bridge on a major transportation corridor in Cape Cod and allow for restoration of the estuary to reduce flooding for property owners caused by storm surge and also improve fish passage.

Two projects focus on coral reef restoration efforts in Florida and in Hawaii to help sustain many economically-important fisheries and natural barriers to storm surge:

  • The Coral Reef Alliance will receive $842,782 to reduce the flow of water and levels of nutrients and sediment that reach nearshore coral reefs off West Maui. In applying best management practices, the project will increase these reefs’ resilience to climate changes.
  • The University of Miami will receive $521,920 to restore coral reefs across Miami Beach and Key Biscayne which will improve the resiliency of threatened staghorn and elkhorn corals to sea temperature changes.

Read the full story at Phys.org

Washington’s senators call for salmon, crab fishing seasons to be declared “disasters”

December 7, 2016 — Several commercial fisheries on the U.S. West Coast should be declared disasters, a move that would make federal funds available to those affected by poor fishing seasons, United States senators representing Washington state said.

Democrats Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell called for a declaration of commercial fisheries failures for six pending fishery disaster requests, in a letter to Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker.

“Fishing communities up and down Washington’s coast have suffered through several years of lower-than-expected catch. A federal fishery disaster declaration would make communities eligible for funding for projects such as fisheries recovery, job training, and infrastructure investments in the communities hardest hit,” the senators said in a statement.

Washington’s maritime industry supports almost 60,000 jobs directly and contributes USD 30 billion (EUR 28 billion) in economic activity each year, not including the shipbuilders, hotels, restaurants, manufacturers, and outfitters that benefit indirectly, they said. The senators stated that fisheries are also of tremendous significance to the state’s tribal fishermen, who have been harvesting fish on Washington’s coast for thousands of years.

“Prompt declaration of these disasters will help meet the needs of communities struggling as a result of these disasters,” Senators Murray and Cantwell said.

Read the full story at SeafoodSource

Senators Murray, Cantwell Push to Declare Six Fisheries Disasters in Washington State

December 5th, 2016 — The following was released by the office of Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA):

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Today, U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA) sent a letter to Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker calling for a declaration of commercial fisheries failures for six pending fishery disaster requests.

Fishing communities up and down Washington’s coast have suffered through several years of lower-than-expected catch. A federal fishery disaster declaration would make communities eligible for funding for projects such as fisheries recovery, job training, and infrastructure investments in the communities hardest hit.

Washington’s maritime industry supports almost 60,000 jobs directly and contributes $30 billion in economic activity each year, not including the shipbuilders, hotels, restaurants, manufacturers, and outfitters that benefit indirectly. The fisheries are also of tremendous significance to the state’s Tribal fishermen, who have been harvesting fish on Washington’s coast for thousands of years.

“Commercial, recreational, charter and tribal fisheries are an integral part of Washington’s maritime economy, as well as our culture and heritage,” the Senators wrote. “Prompt declaration of these disasters will help meet the needs of communities struggling as a result of these disasters. We appreciate your full and fair consideration of these requests.”

The outstanding requests currently before the Department of Commerce include:

  • 2014 Fraser River sockeye salmon. Requested in January 2015 by Swinomish Indian Tribal Community Chairman Brian Cladoosby, Makah Tribal Council Chairman Timothy Greene, Sr., and Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe Chairwoman Frances Charles.
  • 2015 Grays Harbor coho salmon. Requested by Quinault Indian Nation President Fawn Sharp on November 23, 2015.
  • 2015 South Puget Sound coho salmon. Requested by Squaxin Island Tribe Natural Resources Policy Representative Joseph Peters in May 2016, by Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe Chairman Jeromy Sullivan on June 22, 2016, and by Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe Chairman W. Ron Allen on July 5, 2016.
  • 2015 Dungeness crab. Requested by Quileute Tribal Council Chairman Charles Woodruff on June 23, 2016.
  • 2015 statewide coho salmon. Requested by Washington Governor Jay Inslee on September, 14, 2016.
  • 2016 statewide coho salmon. Requested by Washington Governor Jay Inslee on September, 14, 2016.

Full text of the letter can be found below.

 

The Honorable Penny Pritzker

Secretary of Commerce

United States Department of Commerce

1401 Constitution Ave NW

Washington, D.C. 20230

 

Dear Secretary Pritzker:

 

We write to urge you to use your authority under Section 312 of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. § 1861a) to declare commercial fishery failures for six pending Washington state fishery disaster requests. The importance of these fisheries to the Pacific Northwest is enormous, and their failure has far reaching consequences for tribal, commercial and recreational fishermen across Washington state and the Pacific Northwest.

 Commercial, recreational, charter and tribal fisheries are an integral part of Washington’s maritime economy, as well as our culture and heritage. The maritime industry in Washington state alone directly employs 57,700 people and contributes $30 billion in economic activity annually. In turn, fisheries support industries such as shipbuilders, hotels, restaurants, gear manufacturers, and outfitters. However, several years of lower-than-expected returns have compounded the economic and cultural effects that local fishery disasters have had on coastal communities.

In addition to the economic impacts on the commercial maritime industry, fishery disasters limit the opportunity for Tribal subsistence and ceremonial harvests. Fishery disasters result in a significant nutritional, cultural and financial burden for Washington state tribes, adding to the importance of a swift response to fishery disasters. Tribes have been fishing the coastal waters of Washington state for thousands of years and the federal government has a responsibility to uphold their treaty fishing rights.

Given the vast impact that these disasters have had on communities across Washington state, we request an expedited review of the following requests, currently before the Department of Commerce:

·         2014 Fraser River sockeye salmon. Requested in January 2015 by Swinomish Indian Tribal Community Chairman Brian Cladoosby, Makah Tribal Council Chairman Timothy Greene, Sr., and Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe Chairwoman Frances Charles.

·         2015 Grays Harbor coho salmon. Requested by Quinault Indian Nation President Fawn Sharp on November 23, 2015.

·         2015 South Puget Sound coho salmon. Requested by Squaxin Island Tribe Natural Resources Policy Representative Joseph Peters in May 2016, by Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe Chairman Jeromy Sullivan on June 22, 2016, and by Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe Chairman W. Ron Allen on July 5, 2016.

·         2015 Dungeness crab. Requested by Quileute Tribal Council Chairman Charles Woodruff on June 23, 2016.

·         2015 statewide coho salmon. Requested by Washington Governor Jay Inslee on September, 14, 2016.

·         2016 statewide coho salmon. Requested by Washington Governor Jay Inslee on September, 14, 2016.

 

Prompt declaration of these disasters will help meet the needs of communities struggling as a result of these disasters. We appreciate your full and fair consideration of these requests

Sincerely,

__________________________

Patty Murray

U.S. Senator  

__________________________

Maria Cantwell

U.S. Senator

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