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NOAA Fisheries Issues Final Rule Regarding Prohibited Species Catch Limit for Pacific Halibut
29Nov By Fishermen's NewsNo Comments
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NOAA Fisheries Issues Final Rule Regarding Prohibited Species Catch Limit for Pacific Halibut

NOAA Fisheries has issued a final rule, effective Jan. 1, 2024, regarding regulations governing limits on Pacific halibut prohibited species catch. The action implementing Amendment 123 to the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) Management Area was published in the Federal Register Nov. 24. According to NOAA officials, the final rule is expected to minimize halibut mortality and may result in additional harvest opportunities in the commercial halibut fishery, as well as to the subsistence and recreational fisheries. The final rule amends the regulations governing limits on Pacific halibut prohibited species catch (PSC) to link the halibut PSC limit for the Amendment 80 commercial groundfish trawl fleet in the BSAI groundfish fisheri...
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Wespac Scientific Advisors to Meet Regarding Proposed Pacific Remote Islands Sanctuary
29Nov By Fishermen's NewsNo Comments
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Wespac Scientific Advisors to Meet Regarding Proposed Pacific Remote Islands Sanctuary

Scientific advisors to the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council (WPRFMC, Wespac) are slated to wrap up a two-day meeting in Honolulu Nov. 29 regarding several topics, including the proposed Pacific Remote Islands (PRI) sanctuary. Also on the agenda is a call for advice on uku (blue-green snapper) essential fish habitat revision for the Hawai’i Fishery Ecosystem Plan, U.S. territorial bigeye tuna catch and allocation limits. The council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) meeting, scheduled for Nov. 28-29, is being held remotely via web conference. The full agenda and background documents and instructions for providing oral public comments are online at www.wpcouncil.org/event/150th-scientific-and-statistical-committee. The SSC was scheduled to review av...
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Fisheries Board Takes Up Proposal to Lower Salmon Production at Alaska Hatcheries
29Nov By Fishermen's NewsNo Comments
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Fisheries Board Takes Up Proposal to Lower Salmon Production at Alaska Hatcheries

Extensive public testimony is anticipated during the Alaska Board of Fisheries (ABF) meeting in Homer, which concludes Dec. 1, on a proposal to greatly reduce salmon production at Alaska hatcheries. Final action isn’t expected until 2024. Proposition 43 would amend the Cook Inlet Salmon Enhancement Allocation Plan to reduce hatchery production to 25% of the year 2000 production, as was promised in 2000. The proposition, introduced by the Fairbanks Fish and Game Advisory Committee, contends that there’s an over-production of hatchery pink salmon threatening wild Alaska salmon stocks. Art Nelson, executive director of the fisheries board, said the ABF would receive public testimony on Proposition 43 at Homer and may discuss it to some extent during committee work, but not vote o...
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Study: Commercial Fishing May Be Far More Dangerous Than Previously Believed
29Nov By Fishermen's NewsNo Comments
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Study: Commercial Fishing May Be Far More Dangerous Than Previously Believed

A new study conducted by the FISH Safety Foundation that was commissioned by Pew Charitable Trusts suggests that commercial fishing may be far more dangerous than previously believed. The study, published Nov. 6 on WorkersCompensation.com, says that research shows over 100,000 fishing-related deaths annually, which is three to four times previous estimates. The study found that serious injuries and abuses, including child labor and decompression sickness, from workers being forced to make repeated deep dives to harvest lobster. According to Sam Willis of the FISH Safety Foundation, the original research focused on understanding how many people die, and less on keeping track of how they died. Willis said that given the lack of information worldwide, it’s difficult to report on ...
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Alaska Young Fishermen’s Summit Begins Dec. 5 in Anchorage
29Nov By Fishermen's NewsNo Comments
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Alaska Young Fishermen’s Summit Begins Dec. 5 in Anchorage

The Alaska Young Fishermen’s Summit (AYFS) gets underway at the Marriott Hotel in Anchorage on Dec. 5, with three days of intensive training and networking opportunities to train the next generation of commercial fisheries harvesters. The event is organized by Alaska Sea Grant and includes presentations on a range of topics for those getting into the business of fisheries, from financing fishing vessels and business insurance, to marketing the catch and participating in the Alaska Board of Fisheries and the North Pacific Fishery Management Council. The keynote address is to be delivered by veteran commercial fisherman Duncan Fields, owner of Shoreside Consulting in Kodiak, and a former North Pacific Fisheries Management Council member. Alaska Sea Grant marketing specialist Que...
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Humpback Whale Sightings Delay Calif. Dungeness Crab Season
22Nov By Fishermen's NewsNo Comments
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Humpback Whale Sightings Delay Calif. Dungeness Crab Season

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has announced that due to increased concentrations of blue and humpback whales in fishing areas, a delay in commercial fishing for Dungeness crab in Fishing Zones 1 and 2 has been instituted. Also announced on Nov. 17 was that the season delay in Fishing Zones 3-6 remains in effect. Restrictions are also being continued for crab traps in the recreational crab fishery in several fishing zones. CDFW officials said the next scheduled risk assessment is expected on or about Dec. 7 or 8. In a separate statement also issued on Nov. 17, the international ocean conservation group Oceana said the delay in the Dungeness crab fishing season was aimed at protecting whales, but also due to poor crab meat quality in northern California’s Fishin...
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NOAA Fisheries Seeks Further Review Re: Expanding Seafood Import Monitoring Program
22Nov By Fishermen's NewsNo Comments
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NOAA Fisheries Seeks Further Review Re: Expanding Seafood Import Monitoring Program

NOAA Fisheries has withdrawn a proposed rule to expand the Seafood Import Monitoring Program (SIMP), saying that instead, the agency will review the program to explore ways to enhance and strengthen its overall impact and effectiveness. The decision to withdraw the proposed rule stems from extensive feedback received during the public comment period, said Alexa Cole, director of NOAA Fisheries’ Office of International Affairs, Trade and Commerce, who announced the withdrawal on Nov. 14. “While we do not have a set timeline, NOAA Fisheries will prioritize this important work and aim to complete this review and implement any needed changes as soon as possible,” NOAA Fisheries spokesperson Lauren Gaches said. Meanwhile, SIMP continues operating in its current form, with the list ...
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EPA Invests in Improving Columbia River Basin Environment
22Nov By Fishermen's NewsNo Comments
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EPA Invests in Improving Columbia River Basin Environment

Nearly $32 million in federal funds is being invested across seven Oregon projects and programs, with a goal of reducing toxics in fish and water and addressing climate change issues to help restore the health of the Columbia River Basin. The money comes from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s $79 million total funding infusion into the Columbia River Basin Restoration Program. The program is proving essential to the Pacific Northwest’s Tribes, communities and economy, all of which rely on the watershed, according to Oregon Sens. Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, who announced the new funds Nov. 16. “Our rivers and waterways are the lifeblood of our communities. If they are dirty and polluted, our homes, schools and businesses are dirty and polluted,” Merkley stated. “The federal inve...
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Polar Star Heads South from Seattle for Antarctica’s Operation Deep Freeze
22Nov By Fishermen's NewsNo Comments
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Polar Star Heads South from Seattle for Antarctica’s Operation Deep Freeze

For the 27th year running, the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Polar Star is enroute to Antarctica to break a navigable channel through ice for Operation Deep Freeze (ODF). It’s a task described by Polar Star Commanding Officer Capt. Keith Ropella as a unique, important mission that requires year-round effort from crew to prepare the now 47-year-old vessel for the 20,000 nautical mile round trip, where the Polar Star will be subject to extreme environmental conditions. The Coast Guard said that it’s recapitalizing its polar icebreaker fleet to ensure continued access to the polar regions and to protect the country’s economic, environmental and national security interests. To date, the Polar Star has completed the third of five planned phases of the service life extension project at a cos...
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Murkowski Pushes Anew for U.S. Senate to Ratify UNCLOS
22Nov By Fishermen's NewsNo Comments
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Murkowski Pushes Anew for U.S. Senate to Ratify UNCLOS

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, is renewing her effort to win U.S. Senate passage of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which has long since been ratified by 168 nations and the European Union. On Nov. 16, Murkowski, co-chair of the Arctic Caucus, introduced a resolution calling on the Senate to ratify UNCLOS. The document details the rights and responsibilities of countries regarding the oceans, including guidelines for businesses and the management of marine natural resources. It also provides a legal framework to protect those rights while avoiding conflict. The resolution was previously introduced by Murkowski and Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-HI, during the 116th and 117th Congresses. “The longer we sit out, the longer the rest of the world will continue ...
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