Friday, September 2, 2022

Alaska Alaska Fisheries Report September 1, 2022 KMXT - September 1, 2022 On this week’s Alaska Fisheries Report with Terry Haines: Kirsten Dobroth of KMXT talks to NOAA fisheries scientist Mike Litzow on the impacts of accelerating climate change in the Arctic, and Lauren Wild of University of Alaska Southeast on sperm whales vs. longliners. https://kmxt.org/2022/09/alaska-fisheries-report-september-1-2022/ Yukon River fall chum and coho salmon have returned in higher numbers than last year’s record low KYUK by Anna Rose MacArthur - September 1, 2022 On the Yukon River, both the fall chum and the coho salmon are nearing the ends of their runs. Biologists with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) do not expect either to reach their goals for fish reaching their spawning grounds. But both species have arrived in higher numbers than last year’s record low. https://www.kyuk.org/hunting-fishing/2022-09-01/yukon-river-fall-chum-and-coho-salmon-have-returned-in-higher-numbers-than-last-years-record-low Cruise lines, Alaska seafood and sustainability – a natural connection National Fisherman by Guest Author: Renée Limoge Reeve - September 1, 2022 Sustainability. It’s more than a buzz word for Alaska’s cruise and seafood industries. It’s a movement – a system that is interconnected with mutual respect so important to us it’s mandated by our state constitution. In Alaska, we brag about our sustainable, wild seafood, and the culture of respect that is uniquely Alaska. https://www.nationalfisherman.com/cruise-lines-alaska-seafood-and-sustainability-a-natural-connection Peltola Will Be First Woman, First Alaska Native to Represent Alaska in Congress SeafoodNews.com by Peggy Parker - August 31, 2022 Mary Peltola won 51.5% of the final vote in Alaska’s first ranked-choice election and will serve the remainder of Congressman Don Young’s term this year. Peltola, a Yup’ik Native from Bethel, prevailed over Sarah Palin despite early polls that predicted Palin would receive more votes from third-place Republican Nick Begich and win by a narrow margin. “It is overwhelming. And it’s a very good feeling. I’m very grateful Alaskans have put their trust in me,” Peltola said in an interview with The Washington Post yesterday, during which she had to break away to take a call from Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska). “I will be immediately going to work.” Before the announcement yesterday, which was also Peltola’s 49th birthday, she held 39.7% of the first-place votes to Palin’s 30.9%. In the ‘instant runoff’ which counted write-ins, eliminated Nick Begich as the third-place winner and distributed his second-choice votes, only half of Begich’s voters ranked Palin second, not enough to give her a majority. Twenty-one percent chose not to fill in their second choice, so those ballots didn’t count. The remaining 29 percent ranked Peltola second, flipping from a Republican to a Democrat. Peltola’s tally rose to 91,206 votes to Palin’s 85,987, or 51.47% to 48.53%. Although Alaskans have historically supported Republican presidents in national elections, they currently identify as ‘independent’ more than any one political party, and upsets like this are not uncommon in other Alaska elections. Peltola’s campaign was marked by civility and positive comments compared to jibes exchanged between Palin and Begich, both Republicans. All three candidates will be on the November 8 ballot for the two-year term representing Alaska in the U.S. House beginning January 1, 2023. As an incumbent, Peltola will enjoy advantages of increased visibility and fund-raising capabilities as she sets her agenda, hires staff, votes, makes alliances, and joins coalitions. Peltola is the first Democrat to join Alaska’s three-person congressional delegation since U.S. Sen. Mark Begich lost reelection in 2014. Her campaign platform is “pro-fish” and she has closer ties to the seafood industry and marine resources than many candidates in recent years. Peltola was raised in rural Western Alaska and now calls Bethel home. She is a tribal leader and served that district in the state House from 1999 to 2008. She led the Bush Caucus, which represents rural Alaskans of all political stripes. Division of Elections’ spokesperson Tiffany Montemayor said some ballots from rural communities had not been received yet but likely will be by Friday, when the state board certifies the election. The announcement was live-streamed on social media and drew thousands of comments from around the world. When Alaska voters narrowly agreed to ranked-choice voting in 2020, the November general election was expected to be the first time it would be used. Congressman Young’s death in March moved that timeline up three months to accommodate the special election to serve out his current term. It was an accelerated campaign to educate voters on ranked-choice. The effort resulted in more than a third of the electorate voting, a historic high in the state. “The Division of Elections has officially run the geographically largest, physically largest, ranked choice voting ever in American history,” said Chris Hughes, policy director of the national Ranked Choice Voting Resource Center, a national nonprofit that informs the public about ranked choice voting. The 117th Congress is expected to return to business September 6th, and House Speaker Pelosi could schedule an early swearing in for Peltola on September 7th, but likely that will take place the week of September 12. That will give Peltola about six weeks in the House to vote, begin familiarizing herself with issues and people, and serve her state as she campaigns for the full two-year term prior to the November 8 general election. Anchorage Daily News reporters Riley Rogerson and Iris Samuels interviewed experts familiar with the freshman process in the House an concluded that Peltola “will have less than eight weeks to set an agenda and join committees” due to the Congressional calendar. After three weeks of work in September, the House will call a month-long recess again until after the November election. They will then return for four weeks before the end of the year, for the “lame duck” session. The reporters noted that if Peltola wins the general election in November, she “would have seniority — however brief — over the rest of the House freshman class, giving them a leg up during the next session’s committee assignments. That seniority would also apply to office selection,” they noted. But some of the return to Washington D.C. will be poignant to Peltola, who spent her sophomore year in high school in a boarding school in northern Pennsylvania. Her family and Don Young had been close for years — Peltola’s father flew Young to campaign stops when he first sought statewide office while her mother campaigned for Young in Yup’ik while she was pregnant with Peltola. During Peltola’s school year in Pennsylvania the family couldn't afford flights home for both Thanksgiving and Christmas, she said, so her father called his old friend and asked if Peltola could spend Thanksgiving with his family in the Washington, DC, area. That was when Peltola said she began to understand Young in a context beyond his friendship with her father. "I realized at that time how significant Don's position was," Peltola said in an interview with CNN. Peltola received congratulatory messages yesterday from President Biden, U.S. Sens. Dan Sullivan and Murkowski, independent governor candidate Bill Walker, and other political leaders across the state. https://www.seafoodnews.com/Story/1233972/Peltola-Will-Be-First-Woman-First-Alaska-Native-to-Represent-Alaska-in-Congress Environment/Science Acid Drainage from Abandoned BC Mine Steps Closer to Cleanup Fishermen's News - August 31, 2022 Efforts to halt acid drainage from an abandoned British Columbia mine flowing into the salmon-rich Taku River watershed in Southeast Alaska has come a step closer to resolution, with the future of the Tulsequah Chief Mine now in the hands of the provincial government. https://fishermensnews.com/acid-drainage-from-abandoned-bc-mine-steps-closer-to-cleanup/ Research reveals water conditions increase copper toxicity for three Alaska salmon species Alaska Sea Grant by Anne Gore - August 31, 2022 A major concern about mine development in Alaska’s Bristol Bay region and in many watersheds throughout Alaska is the potential for toxic waste to contaminate water and threaten world class salmon runs. Copper is a particular concern because it is acutely toxic to fish at relatively low concentrations. https://alaskaseagrant.org/2022/08/31/research-reveals-water-conditions-increase-copper-toxicity-for-three-alaska-salmon-species/ Federal Register North Pacific Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting A Notice by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on 09/02/2022 The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) Groundfish Plan Teams will meet September 19, 2022, through September 23, 2022. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/09/02/2022-19076/north-pacific-fishery-management-council-public-meeting Fisheries Off West Coast States; Modification of the West Coast Salmon Fisheries; Inseason Actions #34 Through #36 A Rule by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on 09/02/2022 NMFS announces three inseason actions in the 2022 ocean salmon fisheries. These inseason actions modify the recreational and commercial salmon fisheries in the area from the United States/Canada border to the Oregon/California border. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/09/02/2022-18991/fisheries-off-west-coast-states-modification-of-the-west-coast-salmon-fisheries-inseason-actions-34 FYI’s Wild Alaska Pollock industry to host its annual meeting on October 17th National Fisherman - September 1, 2022 The theme of this year’s GAPP event is “Strategically Building Awareness and Demand for the Perfect Protein.” The fourth annual Association of Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers’ (GAPP) Wild Alaska Pollock meeting will be held October 17, 2022, in Seattle, Washington, GAPP has announced. https://www.nationalfisherman.com/wild-alaska-pollock-industry-to-host-its-annual-meeting-on-october-17th Sen. Murkowski named honorary USCG Chief Petty Officer KINY - August 30, 2022 Sitka, Alaska (KINY) - During a recent visit to Air Station Sitka to see firsthand the proposed Fast Response Cutter housing and homeporting location, the 27th Commandant of the United States Coast Guard, Admiral Linda Fagan, recognized U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski as an honorary Chief Petty Officer of the service. https://www.kinyradio.com/news/news-of-the-north/sen-murkowski-named-honorary-uscg-chief-petty-officer/ 2022 Seafood Donations to Yukon River Villages Via SeaShare Reach 74,000 Pounds Fishermen's News - August 31, 2022 Boxes of donated wild Alaska king and chum salmon were transported communities along the Yukon River where residents were again banned from commercial or subsistence harvests due to weak runs of salmon. Photo courtesy of SeaShare. https://fishermensnews.com/2022-seafood-donations-to-yukon-river-villages-via-seashare-reach-74000-pounds/ AFDF Announces 2023 Alaska Symphony of Seafood Call for Product Urner Barry by Amanda Buckle - September 1, 2022 The Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation (AFDF) is calling for products for the 2023 Alaska Symphony of Seafood. The Alaska Symphony of Seafood is a competition created by AFDF to encourage companies to invest in value-added product development. This year the competition will kick off at the Seattle Open House on November 16, 2022 at the Bell Harbor International Conference Center. Products will be on display and open to judging. The competition will continue at a second event in Juneau on February 23, 2023. Products will once again be on display and open for sampling. Awards will be given out for Grand Prize, Salmon, Whitefish, Seattle People’s Choice, Juneau People’s Choice and the Bristol Bay Choice. The Bristol Bay Choice award is in partnership with the Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association to promote value-added products coming out of Bristol Bay. There are also categories in Retail, Food Service and Beyond the Plate. First place winners from each category, plus the Bristol Bay Choice, will receive booth space at Seafood Expo North America in Boston. The winners will also automatically be entered into the Expo’s national new product competition, the Seafood Excellence Awards. Airfare to and from the show will be provided by Symphony sponsor Alaska Air Cargo. The deadline for entry into the competition is Friday, October 21. You can find more information here. https://www.seafoodnews.com/Story/1234020/AFDF-Announces-2023-Alaska-Symphony-of-Seafood-Call-for-Product 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. Section 107, any copyrighted work in this message is distributed under fair use without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for non-profit research and educational purposes only. *Inclusion of a news article, report, or other document in this email does not imply PSPA support or endorsement of the information or opinion expressed in the document.