Features – Page 14 – Fishermens News

Pacific Fishermen Shipyard Turns 75 – A Tale of Three Anniversaries

Just north of Seattle, on Ballard’s Salmon Bay east of the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks, sits an icon that seems to have popped right out of another era. Pacific Fishermen Shipyard, or “PacFish” as it’s known to those who do business here, is part commercial enterprise, part museum, and part a study in Norwegian determination, but in a word, it’s a success. In 2021, the yard celebrates its 75th anniversary while it’s legendary general manager, Doug Dixon, logs his 20th year on the job. And by a perfect triangulating circumstance, it’s also the 150th anniversary of Norwegian shipbuilding in the area. PacFish finds itself in the middle of a rapidly gentrifying neighborhood that’s losing its industrial character, so its focus on environmental stewardship is central to its survival. They...

Offshore Wind Power: California Fishing Industry Voices Its Concerns

By Karen Robes Meeks When the Biden Administration announced in May that it would open California’s northern and central coasts to offshore wind projects for the first time, government officials touted the move as part of a larger effort to generate jobs through the creation of 30 gigawatts of domestic offshore wind by 2030. The announcement included comments from California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who called the potential for building renewable energy through offshore wind “a game changer” for reaching the state’s own goals in addressing climate change while boosting the economy. “This historic announcement, which could provide clean power for up to 1.6 million homes over the next decade, represents the innovative approach we need for a clean energy economy that protects the coasts, ...

Construction Expected to Begin This Winter on Alaska Cargo & Cold Storage Project

Construction is set to begin this winter on the first phase of the $200 million Alaska Cargo and Cold Storage project, complete with at least 190,000 square feet of climate-controlled cargo and cold storage capacity. The facility at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport is a joint venture of industrialist Chad Brownstein and McKinley Capital Management, LLC in Anchorage, led by Rob Gillam. Ultimately, it is expected to have 32.5 million cubic feet of warehouse space, with technologies ranging from climate control zones to a ground source heat exchange and an oxygen reduction fire suppression system. “We are currently in discussion with potential tenants whose input will influence specific size and features of the facility,” said Joe Jacobson, vice president of private equit...

Coast Guard Cutter Stratton Returns from 100-Day Alaska Deployment

With its mission accomplished after a 105-day deployment to Alaska, as well as biannual shipboard training off the coast of San Diego, the Coast Guard Cutter Stratton returned in early June to its homeport of Alameda, California. During the deployment the crew of the Stratton, along with an MH-65 helicopter aircrew from Air Station Kodiak, patrolled the Bering Sea up to the ice edge of the Arctic, where they conducted two search and rescue missions in the Bering Sea. With support from the ship’s unmanned aircraft system, the crew also safeguarded Alaska’s multi-billion-dollar fishing industry with 15 fisheries law enforcement boardings, to ensure compliance with maritime laws. Their mission also protected the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone by patrolling the maritime boundary line to preven...

Coast Guard Cutter Healy Holds Change of Command Ceremony

Coast Guard Rear Adm. Peter W. Gautier, acting commander, U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Area and Defense Forces West, salutes Capt. Kenneth J. Boda during the Coast Guard Cutter Healy change of command ceremony aboard the cutter moored at Base Seattle, June 25. Boda relieved Capt. Mary Ellen J. Durley as Healy’s commanding officer during the ceremony.

Marine Propulsion What’s New in the Industry in 2021

Of all the equipment housed on a commercial fishing vessel, propulsion is obviously among the most important. After all, if you can’t be propelled out into middle of the ocean, then your chances of successful deepwater fishing are very limited, at best. Plus, when dealing with rough seas, strong winds and/or high waves, fishing vessels have to be able to cope with the extreme weather conditions at sea at all times. Whether they’re trawlers, live fish carriers or longliners, adapting the equipment optimally to the fishing vessel’s operational profile is vital for efficient operations. Fortunately for the commercial fishing industry, a number of companies around the globe make it their business to advance the state of marine propulsion technology, and create new and different produ...

Refrigeration Equipment: Trends & Technology

When it comes to bringing the freshest catch to market, refrigeration serves a vital role in that process, and the West Coast companies that do it well know it takes experience and an eye toward innovation to get the job done. Fishermen’s News reached out to some of the West Coast leaders in the refrigeration industry to talk about what’s trending in the industry, the latest in cold storage technology and where they see refrigeration heading in the coming years. Trends in Seafood The need to chill products faster than ever is on the rise as the demand for seafood grows, experts say. “The trend that we see is to start preserving the catch at an earlier stage,” said Lars Matthiesen, president of Highland Refrigeration. “That means immediately after catch, the fish will be submerged in ...

Bristol Bay Braces for the Gold, a Forecast of over 51 Million Sockeyes

Optimism rising as the pandemic ebbs, with an eye to another robust harvest Harvesters headed for the famed Bristol Bay wild sockeye salmon fishery are upbeat this year, buoyed by the forecast of a robust harvest, a reopening economy, more people cooking salmon at home and the ebbing of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Conditions are very favorable,” said Andy Wink, executive director of the Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association (BBRSDA), which represents some 1,800 drift gillnetters. “There is high demand … and there is a lot less fear and anxiety this year because we have been dealing with the pandemic for a much longer time.” The Alaska Department of Fish and Game is forecasting a run exceeding 51 million red salmon, with a harvest of 36.35 million fish, which would be 13...

NOAA Fisheries to Review Killer Whales’ Endangered Listing

On April 22, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) announced its intent to conduct a five-year Endangered Species Act (ESA) review of Southern Resident killer whales (SRKW), also known as “orcas.” The purpose: “to ensure that the listing classification remains accurate.” Currently, the Southern Residents are listed as endangered – “in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of (their) range,” according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. It’s unlikely that status will be moderated since experts believe there are only 75-80 SRKW left. “The Southern Resident population remains small and vulnerable and has not had a net increase in abundance since the mid-1980s,” NOAA writes in its new, 2021-2025 “Species in the Spotlight” document, which presents upcoming a...

Pollock Tariffs: An Ongoing Problem for the Commercial Fishing Industry

According to a study by the European Commission, China is the largest and fastest growing seafood market in the world. However, due to an ongoing China-U.S. trade war, American Alaska Pollock producers are having their access to this expanding market limited during this period of growth. The path to this exclusion from such a lucrative market began in January 2018, with the onset of the U.S.-China trade war. The Trump Administration imposed tariffs on Chinese goods entering the United States while China in turn placed tariffs on U.S. exports, setting off a series of tit-for-tat measures that would see hefty tariffs against multiple U.S. products, including Alaska Pollock. The first round of Chinese tariffs went into effect on July 6th, 2018, and netted Alaska Pollock in its list of affec...