Fishermen’s News – Page 45

USDA Approves $52M Purchase of Pacific Northwest Seafood Products

10Aug

By Fishermen's NewsNo Comments

Fishermen's News Online, News

USDA Approves $52M Purchase of Pacific Northwest Seafood Products

U.S. Department of Agriculture officials have approved a $52 million purchase of Pacific Northwest seafood products, a deal that Oregon Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden say will provide a boost to the state’s seafood industry after being hard hit by COVID-19 and climate chaos. The deal includes the purchase of $22 million in Pacific whiting fillets, $18 million in Pacific rockfish fillets and $12 million in Pacific pink shrimp. “Not only do our fisheries deliver incredible products all around the world, they have been the lifeblood of communities up and down Oregon’s coast for generations,” Merkley said. “This announcement ensures Oregon’s coastal fishermen and seafood producers receive critical financial assistance needed to continue operating and providing services here in O...

Oregon Halibut Poacher Loses Commercial Fishing Rights

10Aug

By Fishermen's NewsNo Comments

Fishermen's News Online, News

Oregon Halibut Poacher Loses Commercial Fishing Rights

A commercial fishing captain in Tillamook, Oregon, has lost commercial fishing privileges for the next five years after what Oregon state police describe as repeated halibut poaching. Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife Division brought charges against Charles “Joe” Evens for violating terms of his commercial license by keeping fish he caught instead of selling and documenting the catch with a fish dealer. Evens was suspended from obtaining commercial or recreational fishing licenses for five years, ordered to complete 80 hours of community service and also fined $400 for the violations, which he admitted to in June. The license suspension falls within parameter of the Violator Compact, a reciprocal agreement among most states. The compact dictates that if someone loses thei...

From the Editor: Tackling Illegal Fishing

3Aug

By Fishermen's NewsNo Comments

Fishermen's News Online, From the Editor, News

From the Editor: Tackling Illegal Fishing

In the June issue of Fishermen’s News, we ran a lengthy feature article on illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and how, for multiple reasons, such fishing is a leading global maritime security threat. Well, as a follow up to that report, I’m happy to report this news: the United States is strengthening its commitment to combating IUU fishing. In late June at the United Nations Ocean Conference in Portugal, the U.S. made a series of announcements that elevates the country’s commitment to combat IUU fishing and the labor abuses associated with it. In conjunction with the announcements, President Biden signed a memorandum addressing IUU fishing and related harmful fishing practices. Among the measures that the Biden administration spells out in the memorandum are t...

3Aug

By Fishermen's NewsNo Comments

Fishermen's News Online, News

USCG Enforcing Safety, Security Zones for Fleet Week

To safeguard the public during Seattle’s Parade of Ships, Fleet Week and Seafair festival from Aug. 1-7, the Coast Guard is enforcing multiple safety and security zones on Elliott Bay and Lake Washington. The USCG will work with state and local agencies to increase safety patrols on Lake Washington. In addition, crews will enforce a special local regulation for the hydroplane on Lake Washington from 8 a.m. Friday until midnight Sunday. The Seafair Air Show Performance Safety Zone Regulation, also on Lake Washington, is being enforced from 8 a.m. Friday until 4 p.m. Sunday. These zones are to be established in the vicinity of Stan Sayres Memorial Park. Also, the Coast Guard issued reminders to boaters that children 12 years of age and younger are required by state law to wea...

3Aug

By Fishermen's NewsNo Comments

Fishermen's News Online, News

SNP Honors Three for Supporting Seafood for Better Health

Trident Seafoods’ Joe Bundrant, omega-3 researcher Joseph Hibbeln and executive chef Kelly Armetta are being honored by the Seafood Nutrition Partnership (SNP) for their support of the Nutrition Partnership’s mission to raise public awareness about the essential nutritional benefits of eating seafood. SNP said in a Tuesday, Aug. 2 announcement that all three honorees are passionate about improving the lives of Americans through nutrition and have demonstrated an exceptional impact. Bundrant will be awarded the SNP Seafood Industry Visionary Award for collaborating and focusing on public health benefits of SNP’s mission of increasing seafood consumption for the health of all Americans. He was a founding investor in SNP nearly a decade ago, and his efforts have made a lasting impac...

3Aug

By Fishermen's NewsNo Comments

Fishermen's News Online, News

Round 2 CARES Act Fisheries Relief Applications Due By Oct. 31

Applications for Round 2 CARES Act for Alaska fishery participants are available now on the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission website. They must be filled out and postmarked by Oct. 31 to be eligible for relief funds. The announcement from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game refers to aid being made available to fishermen financially impacted by the global COVID-19 pandemic, which is ongoing more than two years after it began. The relief funds are from the Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security Act, also known as the CARES Act, which was signed into law on March 27, 2020 in response to the economic fallout of the pandemic. ADF&G officials noted that applicants need to carefully review Alaska’s spend plan, https://relief.psmfc.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/A...

3Aug

By Fishermen's NewsNo Comments

Fishermen's News Online, News

Collaborative Effort to Bring Salmon Relief to Yukon River Villages

A collaborative effort between six seafood processors and the nonprofit SeaShare on Bainbridge Island, Washington is resulting in the donation of about 49,000 pounds of frozen king and chum salmon to Lower Yukon River residents who are banned from fishing this summer on a commercial or subsistence level because of low salmon runs. SeaShare, a strategic partner of food banks nationwide, said that the donation was from Silver Bay Seafoods, Alaska General Seafoods, Leader Creek Fisheries, OBI Seafoods, North Pacific Seafoods and Trident Seafoods. The donations come in the wake of a record-breaking harvest season in Bristol Bay, with harvesters delivering over 59 million fish to processors. The overall statewide catch through Tuesday, Aug. 2, totaled over 110 million salmon, includin...

Salmonfest Returns to Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula Fairgrounds This Weekend

3Aug

By Fishermen's NewsNo Comments

Fishermen's News Online, News

Salmonfest Returns to Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula Fairgrounds This Weekend

Salmonfest 2022, a weekend-long concert celebrating everything salmon, gets underway Friday, Aug. 5, at Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula Fairgrounds, with five stages, 65 bands, and over 100 vendors. Headliners this year range from Texas musician Shakey Graves to Rising Appalachia, the California Honeydrops, Kyle Hollinsworth and Canadian-American singer-songwriter and guitarist Steve Poltz. Since 2015, Salmonfest has donated over $150,000 to salmon and related initiatives. All 5,200 tickets to the event are sold out. The event also includes nearly 1,000 staff, vendors, plus band guests and another 1,000 children eligible for free admission and others over three-days of Salmonfest. Events on tap at the 2022 festivities include the Smoked Salmon Super Bowl, sponsored by Salmonfest a...

27Jul

By Fishermen's NewsNo Comments

Fishermen's News Online, News

NOAA Extends Comment Period on Draft Climate Science Action Plans

Federal fisheries officials have extended to Friday, July 29, the deadline for comments on the proposed NOAA Climate Science Regional Action Plans to make fisheries and protected resources more resilient to climate change. Copies of the draft regional action plans are available for the Western Region, including California, the Beaufort and Chukchi seas, Eastern Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska. The initial Western Regional Action Plan, released in 2016, focused on implementing NOAA Fisheries’ Climate Science Strategy (NCSS) in the California Current Large Marine Ecosystem over three to five years. The current draft builds on previous efforts and describes proposed actions in 2022-2024 to provide decision makers with information to prepare for and respond to changing conditions in th...

27Jul

By Fishermen's NewsNo Comments

Fishermen's News Online, News

Alaska Commercial Salmon Harvests Exceeds 101M Fish

Commercial harvesters delivered some 101 million salmon to processors through Tuesday, July 26, in the 2022 Alaska fisheries, wrapping up a record harvest season. That includes nearly 59 million fish in the Bristol Bay area alone, led by the Nushagak District with over 22 million fish, the Egegik District exceeding 15 million fish, the Naknek-Kvichak District with over 14 million fish and the Ugashik District with nearly six million fish. Retail prices for the Bristol Bay fillets were holding at about $12.95 a pound for fillets in most Alaska retail shops, but prices dropped in the last week of July to about $10.99 a pound, while retail demand remained high. New Sagaya fish counters in Anchorage had fillets of Alaska salmon at $41 a pound with five-pound purchases. Both New Sagay...