Friday, October 28, 2022

Alaska Dunleavy, Peltola request disaster funds for Bering Sea crab fisheries KMXT by Kirsten Dobroth - October 27, 2022 Gov. Mike Dunleavy has requested federal disaster declarations for two Alaska crab fisheries after their populations crashed. https://kmxt.org/2022/10/gov-dunleavy-requests-disaster-declarations-for-bering-sea-crab-fisheries/ West Coast Oregon Trawl Commission Recognized as Ocean Sustainability Champion SeafoodNews.com by Susan Chambers - October 27, 2022 The Marine Stewardship Council last week awarded Oregon Trawl Commission a 2022 MSC U.S. Ocean Champion Award for its continued dedication to seafood sustainability and ocean health. Oregon Trawl Commission Executive Director Yelena Nowak accepted the award in a small ceremony at the Pacific Maritime Heritage Center in Newport, Ore., presented by MSC Fisheries Outreach Manager, Erin Murray. The Oregon Trawl Commission coordinates the certification of three MSC-certified fisheries, including the state-managed U.S. West Coast pink (coldwater) shrimp, and two federally-managed fisheries, the U.S. West Coast groundfish trawl fishery and the Pacific hake (whiting) mid-water trawl fishery. Oregon pink shrimp was the first shrimp fishery in the world to enter the MSC program and achieved its first certification against the MSC sustainable fishing standard in 2007, MSC said in a press release. Pacific hake followed in 2010 and groundfish in 2014. Over the years, OTC has been a proven innovator and partner in supporting healthy fisheries and oceans, from rebuilding rockfish stocks along the US west coast, to reducing eulachon bycatch in pink shrimp nets by using LED lights. “The Oregon Trawl Commission’s MSC US Ocean Champion Award is a celebration of a 15-year partnership that includes one of the most complex and diverse fisheries to meet the MSC standard," MSC U.S. Program Director Nicole Condon said in the statement. "Progress has been built upon recovered stocks, stakeholder collaboration and trust, and regional leadership. Their work has greatly contributed to the variety and access of MSC certified sustainable seafood options for consumers and the protection of ocean health.” Successful management and certification of the groundfish trawl fisheries, especially, has been a boon to changing the story of West Coast seafood. In the early 2000s, a few species were listed as overfished. The seafood industry, both fishermen and processors, enduring dramatic cuts to allowable catches in order for those species to rebuild. Achieving sustainable certification in less than a decade is a huge accomplishment. “We are grateful to the Marine Stewardship Council for their recognition of our industry’s long-term commitment to stewardship and sustainability,” Nowak said in the release. “This award truly signifies years of hard work and collaborative efforts between the Oregon pink shrimp, whiting and groundfish fisheries and our partners in fisheries management as well as the environmental and research community.” The MSC U.S. Ocean Champion Award was established in 2017 to reward fisheries and companies engaged in the MSC program that demonstrate continued leadership on sustainability above and beyond the MSC fisheries or Chain of Custody standards. Awardees are selected based on their demonstrated leadership and the ability to spark positive change within the industry. Photo: Oregon Trawl Commission Executive Director Yelena Nowak, left, receives the MSC Ocean Champion Award from MSC Fisheries Outreach Manager Erin Murray in Newport, Ore. Credit: Marine Stewardship Council https://www.seafoodnews.com/Story/1238287/Oregon-Trawl-Commission-Recognized-as-Ocean-Sustainability-Champion International Russian seafood firms finding workarounds to Western sanctions Seafood Source by Chris Chase - October 27, 2022 Despite facing a slew of international sanctions, Russian seafood exports increased year-over-year first seven months of 2022 in both value and volume. https://www.seafoodsource.com/news/supply-trade/russia-s-seafood-exports-trending-well-despite-geopolitical-logistical-challenges Russia May Face Decline of Crab Population and Catch in the Far East SeafoodNews.com by Eugene Gerden - October 27, 2022 Russia may face a decline of crab population and catch in the Far East in the middle term, which will force the country to impose restrictions on the catch in some areas and zones. The U.S. recently restricted crab catch in the Bering sea due to reduction of stocks. According to some analysts, there is a possibility that in order to keep the existing stock in this fish area at least on the current levels, the same decision could be also taken by Russian fish regulators. According to experts with the Russian Konkurent business magazine, the reduction of crab stock in the U.S. part of the Bering Sea makes Russian fishermen seriously think about the reasonability of the forthcoming increase of planned catches as part of new stage of investment auctions, which are scheduled in Russia in 2023. As part of the new auctions, with the overall cost up to RUB 200 billion (US$3,5 billion), new crab trawlers are supposed to be built in the country. However, most experts have serious doubts that they will be fully utilized due to the current condition with crab stock in the Far East. At present the state of crab stocks in Russia is a key issue given the current trends in global climate change, natural biological processes and cycles, as well as uncontrolled catch, which has been observed in the country and its crab sector in recent years. In fact, Russia has already faced a significant decline of crab population at the beginning of the 2000s. From 1999 to 2004 the catch of king crab in the country decreased from 33,200 to 1.980 tons. The decline of catch at that period of time led to the introduction of the ban on fishing of king crab in Primorye in 2005. Western Kamchatka and Kamchatka and Kuril subzones – the main areas of its fishing – became the main subject of restrictions. At that period the volume of the total allowable catch of king crab in Russia was reduced 17 times, while at some point there were serious fears of its complete exhaustion. Simultaneously with the ban on king crab catch, a similar ban was also introduced on other crab species, such as opilio and snow crab. The resources of these objects in that period were also significantly undermined by intensive fishing. In Kamchatka, crab fishing resumed only in November 2013. Consequently, it took almost nine years to restore the red king crab stocks to a level suitable for fishing. In 2017, the Russian fishing authorities conducted auctions and lifted the ban on catching crab in the Primorye subzone. However, in 2021 they once again imposed a ban on the fishing of king and blue crabs in the subzone of Primorye until October 31, 2022. The main reason was the almost complete reduction of their population. https://www.seafoodnews.com/Story/1238267/Russia-May-Face-Decline-of-Crab-Population-and-Catch-in-the-Far-East Environment/Science NOAA awards USD 18.9 million towards research in harmful algal bloom across the US Seafood Source by Bhavana Scalia-Bruce - October 27, 2022 NOAA has announced it will be allocating USD 18.9 million (EUR 18.9 million) toward research projects and monitoring activities surrounding harmful algal bloom (HAB) across the coastal United States and Great Lakes. https://www.seafoodsource.com/news/environment-sustainability/noaa-awards-usd-18-9-million-towards-research-in-harmful-algal-bloom-across-the-us Fishermen face shutdowns as warming hurts species AP News by Patric Whittle - October 27, 2022 PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Fishing regulators and the seafood industry are grappling with the possibility that some once-profitable species that have declined with climate change might not come back. https://apnews.com/article/science-maine-business-fish-overfishing-617573c5d506e553746a7452a6beac97 Federal Register Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone off Alaska; Petition for Emergency Action To Close the Red King Crab Savings Area and Subarea to All Fishing Gear With Bottom Contact A Proposed Rule by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on 10/28/2022 NMFS announces the receipt of a petition for emergency rulemaking under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA) from the Alaska Bering Sea Crabbers (ABSC). This petition requests NMFS take action to close the Red King Crab Savings Area (RKCSA) and Red King Crab Savings Subarea (RKCSS) to all fishing gear to protect Bristol Bay red king crab (BBRKC) and their habitat at a time of historically low crab abundance for a period of 6 months from January 1, 2023 to June 30, 2023. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/10/28/2022-23549/fisheries-of-the-exclusive-economic-zone-off-alaska-petition-for-emergency-action-to-close-the-red North Pacific Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting A Notice by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on 10/28/2022 The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) Groundfish Plan Teams will meet November 14, 2022, through November 18, 2022. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/10/28/2022-23551/north-pacific-fishery-management-council-public-meeting 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. 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