Friday, December 10, 2021

Alaska NPFMC approaches pivotal decision on halibut bycatch, with USD 100 million potentially at stake Seafood Source by Chris Chase - December 9, 2021 The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC) is once again considering whether or not to implement abundance-based management for halibut bycatch on the groundfish fleet, a decision stakeholders say could cost Alaska’s Amendment 80 fleet over USD 100 million (EUR 88 million). https://www.seafoodsource.com/news/supply-trade/npfmc-approaches-pivotal-decision-on-halibut-bycatch-with-usd-100-million-potentially-at-stake BOF leaves hatcheries intact, passes harvest strategy for PWS Tanner crab Effort to set a hard cap on straying hatchery fish fails Cordova Times by Margaret Bauman - December 9, 2021 Alaska Board of Fisheries members took on several dozen proposals related to hatchery management, shellfish, drift and setnet fisheries during its Nov. 30-Dec. 6 meeting in Cordova. The board left hatchery issues largely intact, approved a harvest strategy for Prince William Sound Tanner crab and approved use of drift gillnets for certain subsistence salmon harvests. https://www.thecordovatimes.com/2021/12/09/bof-leaves-hatcheries-intact-passes-harvest-strategy-for-pws-tanner-crab/ Alaska Fisheries Report December 9, 2021 KMXT - December 9, 2021 On this week’s Alaska Fisheries Report with Terry Haines: The Gulf bounces back from the heat wave, but things are different. https://kmxt.org/2021/12/alaska-fisheries-report-december-9-2021/ Bering Sea ABCs Drop by One-third for Pollock and Go Up by One-Fourth for Pacific Cod SeafoodNews.com by Peggy Parker - December 9, 2021 The North Pacific Fishery Management Council’s advisory bodies have recommended a decrease in the Acceptable Biological Catch (ABC) for pollock of 1.11 million metric tons for 2022, a drop of 32% from last year’s ABC of 1.63 mmt. Their projection for 2023 is for a slightly increased ABC for pollock of 1.289 mmt. In the Bering Sea cod fishery, the ABC’s presented to the Council are for 153,383 mt in 2022 and 151,709 mt in 2023. Those are both above this year’s ABC of 121,845 mt. ABCs will likely be higher than the total allowable catch (TAC) decided by the Council next week. This year’s ABC for Bering Sea pollock, for instance, was 1.626 million metric tons, but the TAC was only 1.375mmt. For cod, this year’s ABC was 123,805 metric tons with a TAC of 111,380 mt in the Bering Sea. In the Aleutians, the difference was ABC = 20,600mt while TAC=13,796mt. The Science and Statistical Committee (SSC) followed the recommendations from the Council’s Groundfish Plan Team except for their advice on yellowfin sole. The Plan Team recommended an ABC of almost 270,000 mt for 2022 and nearly 275,000 mt for 2023. The SSC increased that to 354,000 mt for 2022 and 326,235 mt for 2023. This year’s yellowfin sole ABC was 313,500 mt with a TAC of 200,000 mt. Sablefish ABC also went up to 34,500 mt for 2022 and 36,300 for 2023, from this year’s 29,560 mt. Most flatfish ABC went up by single-digit percentages, but Northern rock sole jumped to 206,900 mt ABC from 140,300 mt this year, a 47% jump. In 2023, a recommended 31% additional jump will be recommended to the Council. Northern rock sole is one of a few flatfish species that, when targeted, produce high halibut bycatch. The Council has a 2 million metric ton cap on landings in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands annually. For the Gulf of Alaska, the Groundfish Plan Team met in November and recommended an increase in ABCs for pollock to 144,444 metric tons, a 25% increase from the 115,870 mt quota from last year. They also recommended a 6% increase in sablefish, a 2 percent increase in Pacific cod, and a 6% drop in arrow tooth flounder. The Council is expected to establish final TACs by Tuesday, December 14, 2021. https://www.seafoodnews.com/Story/1214184/Bering-Sea-ABCs-Drop-by-One-third-for-Pollock-and-Go-Up-by-One-Fourth-for-Pacific-Cod National NOAA Report Shows Ocean Enterprise Sector Growth ExecutiveBiz by Naomi Cooper - December 9, 2021 A new report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has revealed that the number of U.S. businesses providing autonomous surface and underwater vehicles for marine observations and measurements rose 60 percent over a five-year period. https://blog.executivebiz.com/2021/12/noaa-report-shows-growth-in-ocean-enterprise-sector/ USDA Eyeing Salmon, Catfish Products Purchase Through Build Back Better Initiative Urner Barry by Ryan Doyle - December 9, 2021 The USDA has invited offers to sell salmon and catfish products for use in the National School Lunch Program and other Federal Food and Nutrition Assistance Programs. The USDA noted that both of the solicitations were issued under the Biden Administration’s Build Back Better Initiative. USDA’s salmon solicitation sees the Department eyeing a total of 302,480 cases of canned red salmon. Acceptances will be announced by midnight on December 21 and deliveries are scheduled to be made between February 1, 2022 through July 1, 2022. For the catfish products solicitation, the USDA is looking to buy 7.6 million pounds of raw unbreaded catfish fillets. Acceptances will be announced by midnight, December 15, 2021. Deliveries are to be made between February 1, 2022 and July 31, 2022. At the end of November, the USDA announced purchase awards for Alaska pollock and canned pink salmon products with a few well-known firms netting contracts. The USDA purchased 88,160 cases of canned pink salmon products for $5.87 million. Much of the purchase was awarded to OBI Seafoods with the firm landing a $4.95 million contract. The rest was netted by Trident Seafoods for roughly $925,000. A total of $3.9 million in Alaska pollock was purchased by the USDA. In all, over 1.6 million pounds of product was bought. The largest contract was given to Trident Seafoods, which will sell nearly 987,000 pounds of frozen Alaska pollock sticks for $2.19 million. High Liner Foods will provide 608,000 pounds for $1.60 million. Lastly, Channel Fish Processing was awarded a piece of the pie with the USDA buying 38,000 pounds of pollock products for $121,000. https://www.seafoodnews.com/Story/1214169/USDA-Eyeing-Salmon-Catfish-Products-Purchase-Through-Build-Back-Better-Initiative Environment/Science Retraction of flawed MPA study implicates larger problems in MPA science UW Sustainable Fisheries by Max Mossler - December 9, 2021 After months of public criticism and findings of a conflict of interest, a prominent scientific paper (Cabral et al. 2020, A global network of marine protected areas for food) was recently retracted by The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). https://sustainablefisheries-uw.org/flawed-mpa-science-retracted/ Federal Register Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; Fisheries Off West Coast States; Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery; 2021-2022 Biennial Specifications and Management Measures; Inseason Adjustments A Rule by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on 12/10/2021 This final rule announces routine inseason adjustments to management measures in commercial groundfish fisheries. This action is intended to allow commercial fishing vessels to access more abundant groundfish stocks while protecting rebuilding and depleted stocks. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/12/10/2021-26826/magnuson-stevens-act-provisions-fisheries-off-west-coast-states-pacific-coast-groundfish-fishery Fisheries Off West Coast States; Emergency Action to Temporarily Reopen the Sablefish Primary Fishery Season for Vessels Using Pot Gear A Rule by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on 12/10/2021 This emergency rule temporarily reopens the 2021 sablefish primary fishery for vessels using pot/trap gear effective December 10, 2021, to December 31, 2021. This action is necessary to provide operational flexibility so that vessels in the sablefish primary fishery are able to fully harvest their tier limits despite high economic uncertainty in 2021. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/12/10/2021-26659/fisheries-off-west-coast-states-emergency-action-to-temporarily-reopen-the-sablefish-primary-fishery Pacific Seafood Processors Association 1900 W Emerson Place Suite 205, Seattle, WA 98119 Phone: 206.281.1667 E-mail: admin@pspafish.net; Website: www.pspafish.net Our office days/hours are Monday-Friday 8:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. 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