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Alaska/Pacific Coast

In Washington / Oregon battle over home port for NOAA's pacific fleet, Wyden slams Bellingham

SEAFOOD.COM NEWS [Targeted News Service] March 9, 2010 -
Copyright 2010 Targeted News Service ALL Rights Reserved
WASHINGTON, Citing numerous environmental problems and health hazards at the Port of Bellingham (WA), Oregon Senator Ron Wyden today urged the Department of Commerce to cease consideration of the port as a proposed alternative site for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Pacific Fleet. What has been missing from discussions about the Bellingham site is surrounded by myriad environmental problems and hazards,' Wyden said in a letter to Commerce Secretary Gary Locke. 'I believe this extensive environmental contamination would prevent it from being a practicable alternative and could limit the ability of the fleet to function properly and compromise the health and safety of the NOAA employees who would be located there,' To save taxpayer money and improve its facilities, NOAA decided to move its Marine Operations Center - Pacific (MOC-P) from Seattle, Washington, to Newport, Oregon. Since then, the non-political decision has been challenged by members of the Washington State congressional delegation, who received a GAO report raising questions about minor floodplain issues at the Newport location. The environmentally challenged Bellingham site has been promoted as an alternative to Newport. New information, however, shows that Bellingham's proposed home for the NOAA fleet is surrounded by one federal Superfund site and no less than 12 different Washington State Department of Ecology cleanup sites. One of the environmental hazards, the Whatcom Waterway, which would likely be used by the NOAA fleet, has had historic discharges of mercury and, according to the state, contains more than 500,000 cubic yards of contaminated sludge and sediment. Clean up of the waterway has not even begun and will eventually require an investment of $44 million over six years.
Other environmental hazards include:

* The Georgia-Pacific West property immediately adjacent to the proposed MOC-P site contains a variety of toxic chemicals. An assessment of this site has yet to be completed, meaning that efforts to clean up the site could continue for decades.

* The R.G. Haley site located immediately south of the proposed MOC-P site is contaminated with pentachlorophenol (PCP), a highly toxic substance responsible for numerous health problems.

* The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Superfund site (the Oeser Company site) is located within a mile of where the Port of Bellingham wants to put the NOAA fleet

'I do not believe the environmental hazards within the Port of Bellingham were taken into full consideration in the original NOAA decision-making process,' Wyden wrote, adding, however, that 'when these problems are taken into account it makes NOAA's selection of Newport look that much better.'

House rejects effort to restore marine advisory agents

JUNEAU EMPIRE, March 9, 2010

The House Finance Committee Monday rejected an effort to provide funding for Marine Advisory Program agents slated to be cut.

By a 7-3 vote, the committee rejected an amendment to the state's budget offered by Rep. Neal Foster, D-Nome.

http://juneauempire.com/stories/030910/loc_576430065.shtml

NOAA Fisheries Announcement:

33. NMFS Prohibits Directed Fishing for Pollock in Statistical Area 630 in the Gulf of Alaska.

Boston Seafood Show Roundup

SEAFOOD.COM NEWS by John Sackton - March 9, 2010 - With the Boston Seafood Show coming up this weekend, a number of companies have indicated what they are highlighting at the show.
Tri-Union frozen foods and Empress
Tri-Union's Chicken of the Sea Frozen Foods and Empress will highlight the coming merger of all of Thai Union's U.S. frozen seafood operations into a single unit. These include Chicken of the Sea frozen foods, and Empress International, which is one of the largest shrimp importers in the U.S. Thai Union announced the merger of the management group for these two companies earlier this year.
Each company will be highlighting its products, but overall the booth will be making the statement that these U.S. operations are moving towards merging as a single company over the course of this year. The U.S. is the largest single market for Thai Union, which recently relocated its tuna cannery from American Samoa to Georgia. Chicken of the Sea Tuna will continue operating as a separate entity from the frozen food group.

True North Salmon / Cooke Aquaculture
Glen Cooke, president of Cooke Aquaculture, and Roger Berkowitz, President of Legal Seafoods, plan to make a joint announcement at the show concerning Legal Seafoods plan to put eco-labelled salmon on its menus, along with other eco-friendly menu options.

QVD
QVD, the largest importer of basa (swai) fillets from Vietnam, will feature to Seattle based chefs - Chef Rut and Judy Lew , to cook up QVD's award-winning BasaVina Pearl¨ swai loins and fillets. Clear Springs uses QVD's Swai in their Splash! line of value-added products, which has been nominated for one of the Seafood Excellence awards.

Linda Bean's Lobster Rolls
Linda Bean, the grand daughter of LL Bean and the quixotic remaker of Maine's lobster fishery, will be on hand promoting her Linda Bean's Perfect Maine Lobster. She has opened three retail outlets, and says she purchased three million pounds of Maine lobster in 2009. Bean want the lobster roll to become America's next great sandwich.

Harvest Select Catfish
Harvest Select will be highlighting their becoming the first catfish company in the industry to be certified according to Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP).Ê They look forward to discussing U.S. domestic catfish at their booth.

Japan
The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan (MAFF) will be sponsoring its highly acclaimed Japan Pavilion for the third straight year. This year's show will feature ten exhibitors, representing a diverse selection of high-quality seafood ingredients from all across Japan. As a lead-in to the show, world-renowned chef David Bouley, chef and owner of Bouley, and Josh DeChellis, Executive Chef of La Fonda del Sol and rising star in the culinary world, will also be showcasing the exhibitors' ingredients during a series of tastings at their restaurants in New York. The Japanese will also host a tasting event at the Westin.

There are many more exhibitors who are sending out information about their show plans, and we will continue to summarize these as we receive them.

Politics

Obama to back Alaska's effort to build gas line

JUNEAU EMPIRE, March 9, 2010

Federal coordinator Larry Persily may have higher profile. President Obama plans to boost the effort to

develop Alaska's natural gas resources into the executive office of the White House, according to

legislators who visited Washington, D.C., to discuss energy issued with other legislators.

http://juneauempire.com/stories/030910/loc_576429765.shtml

International

Norway's seafood exports hit record in February, driven by exports of salmon

SEAFOOD.COM NEWS [The Norway Post] - March 9, 2010 - The export of seafood from Norway reached a new record in February, with an export value for the month of NOK 4.2 billion. This is an increase of NOK 650 million or 18.5 per cent compared with the same month last year. The seafood export also set a new record for the the two first months of the year, with a value of NOK 7.7 billion, up NOK 831 millon or 12 per cent compared with the two first months of 2009. This is shown by fresh figures from the Export Council for Fish (EFF). The main reason for the increase in seafood exports is an increase in the export of salmon.