Thursday, March 24, 2022

Alaska Seafood processing industry recruiting Alaskans now for 2022 salmon season Alaska Native News by Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development - March 23, 2022 ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Seafood processing employers are now recruiting for more than 3,200 workers for the 2022 salmon and other fishery seasons. Alaskans looking for spring and summer employment have ample opportunities in the seafood processing industry. https://alaska-native-news.com/seafood-processing-industry-recruiting-alaskans-now-for-2022-salmon-season/60749/ Fish Board mostly leaves Sitka herring alone following truce between users Alaska Journal of Commerce by Elizabeth Earl - March 23, 2022 After days of deliberation and a contentious set of proposals targeting the Southeast Alaska herring fisheries, the Alaska Board of Fisheries ultimately declined to make any major changes. https://www.alaskajournal.com/2022-03-23/fish-board-mostly-leaves-sitka-herring-alone-following-truce-between-users Board OKs compromise for Southeast king salmon management KFSK by Joe Viechnicki - March 23, 2022 Alaska’s Board of Fisheries on Sunday agreed to a compromise for king salmon in Southeast that would leave sport fishing bag limits unchanged throughout the season. It’s an attempt to balance the needs of charter fishing businesses and the commercial troll fleet, while setting a priority for resident anglers. https://www.kfsk.org/2022/03/23/board-oks-compromise-for-southeast-king-salmon-management/ West Coast Seafood Processors Association Applying for Processing Facility Grant Funding Fishermen's News - March 23, 2022 The West Coast Seafood Processors Association has joined with the Oregon International Port of Coos Bay to seek grant funding for a feasibility study that would evaluate opportunities to construct a multi-user byproduct recovery center on port property. https://fishermensnews.com/seafood-processors-association-applying-for-processing-facility-grant-funding/ National Domestic seafood marketing funds back on the table National Fisherman by Jessica Hathaway - March 22, 2022 On March 11, the American Fisheries Advisory Committee Act (S-497) sailed through the Senate, making way (again) for a return to funding for domestic seafood R&D and marketing. An identical bill is now awaiting House approval for the last steps in this retro makeover of the Saltonstall-Kennedy Act. https://www.nationalfisherman.com/national-international/domestic-seafood-marketing-funds-back-on-the-table International Russian Fishermen Call for Postponement of Next Auctions for 10 Years Due to Tough Sanctions SeafoodNews.com by Eugene Gerden - March 22, 2022 Amid the ever deteriorating economic situation in Russia, local fishermen have called on the state to postpone the second stage of quota distribution for at least 10 years. The conduction of the second stage was initially scheduled for 2023. However, according to fishermen, implementation of these plans is currently impossible since sanctions, imposed on Russia, make investments in the industry risky. So far, the All-Russian Association of Fisheries (VARPE) has called on the Federal Agency of Fisheries (Rosrybolovstvo) to introduce a moratorium until 2033 on the conduction of a second stage of quota distribution in the Russian fish market. By this time, the quotas distributed within the first stage will expire. As an official spokesman of Rosrybolovstvo said in an interview with the Russian Kommersant business paper, the agency is aware of the VARPE’s proposal, while the mechanism of investment quotas distribution is currently being finalized together with industry participants, taking into account the unprecedented sanctions, imposed on Russia. The second stage of investment quota distribution was supposed to start in 2023. As part of this, there are plans for auctions up to 24% of quotas for herring and pollock in the Far East, 50% of crab and 100% of shellfish. As a result of the program, investors will build about 30 fishing vessels, 35 crab fishing vessels and 10 processing factories, which will require the overall investments of 300 billion rubles. VARPE President German Zverev believes that it is necessary to postpone the second stage of quotas’ distribution. According to him, the pressure of sanctions against Russia and the destruction of supply chains are already painfully impacting fish exports. In addition, he explains, fishing quotas for some fish species are regulated by international agreements. Under current conditions, these agreement can be canceled. In addition, although the vessels for the fishermen are built in Russia, the companies depend on the external factors and economics. The situation is complicated because many fish trawlers are built using foreign engines and components manufactured in Japan, Germany and other countries. Zverev also believes even without taking into account sanctions and currency risks, additional costs for companies participating in the second stage of the distribution of investment quotas, according to preliminary data, can amount to at least 471 billion rubles. According to him, the total losses of small and medium pollock and herring producers by 2033 will reach 22.3 billion rubles, while for companies catching scallop, trumpeter, sea urchin and trepang - 52.25 billion rubles, and crab catchers - 191,2 billion rubles. https://www.seafoodnews.com/Story/1221599/Russian-Fishermen-Call-for-Postponement-of-Next-Auctions-for-10-Years-Due-to-Tough-Sanctions Environment/Science Climate change top topic for panelists at this year’s ComFish KMXT by Kirsten Dobroth - March 22, 2022 Kodiak’s annual commercial fishing trade show ComFish kicks off in-person and virtually on Thurs., March 23. The event typically brings together a mix of vendors, fishermen, lawmakers and scientists to discuss and celebrate the state of Alaska’s fisheries. And one topic is top of mind at this year’s conference: climate change. https://kmxt.org/2022/03/climate-change-top-topic-for-panelists-at-this-years-comfish/ FYI’s Kimball, Drobnica Top Picks for NPFMC Fishermen's News - March 23, 2022 Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy has forwarded to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo four names each for two obligatory seats for the state of Alaska on the North Pacific Fishery Management Council, with incumbent Nicole Kimball and Angela Drobnica as his first choices for the two seats. https://fishermensnews.com/kimball-drobnica-top-picks-for-npfmc/ PFMC: Public hearing announcement Pacific Fishery Management Council - March 22, 2022 The following was released by the Pacific Fishery Management Council: Due to public health concerns related to COVID19 the Pacific Fishery Management Council will be conducting the following Salmon hearings via webinar only. https://www.savingseafood.org/news/council-actions/pfmc-public-hearing-announcement/ ComFish Alaska Trade Show Begins March 24 in Kodiak Fishermen's News - March 23, 2022 The ComFish Alaska commercial fisheries trade show, now in its 43rd year, begins Thurs., March 24, and runs through Sat., March 26, in downtown Kodiak, Alaska. This year’s event is back in person, but with options to view conference forums virtually. https://fishermensnews.com/comfish-alaska-at-kodiak-begins-thursday-march-24/ 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.