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1st Meeting of NPFMC Salmon Bycatch Committee Set
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1st Meeting of NPFMC Salmon Bycatch Committee Set

A new Salmon Bycatch Committee formed by the North Pacific Fishery Management Council is set to hold its first meeting on Monday, Nov. 28. Council members Andy Mezirow, owner of Gray Light Fisheries in Seward, and Rachel Baker, deputy director of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G), were named as co-chairs. Others appointed to the council’s task force include Ruth Christiansen, United Catcher Boats; Oscar Evon Coastal, Coastal Villages Region Fund; Serena Fitka, Yukon River Drainage Fisheries Association; Jennifer Hooper, Association of Village Council Presidents; Mellisa Johnson, Arctic-Yukon-Kuskokwim Tribal Consortium; Stephanie Madsen, At-Sea Processors Association; Elizabeth Reed, Westward Seafoods; Steve Ricci, Bristol Bay Economic Development Corp; Kevin Whitworth...
Congressional Report: Pebble Mine Owners Used ‘Bait And Switch’ Tactics
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Congressional Report: Pebble Mine Owners Used ‘Bait And Switch’ Tactics

A new congressional report uses internal documents from the Pebble Limited Partnership (PLP) to demonstrate a sham permitting scheme designed to evade regulations and develop an open pit mine in the Bristol Bay watershed. The report, released in late October by Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-OR, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and Rep. Grace Napolitano, D-CA, chair of the House Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment, said they sent evidence of false statements to the U.S. Attorney General’s office based on the report’s findings.   The report recommends that Congress prevent future attempts to undermine the federal permitting process by ensuring that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and other federal agencies have the authority, training personnel and r...
Calif. Delays Dungeness Crab Fishery South of Sonoma/Mendocino County Line
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Calif. Delays Dungeness Crab Fishery South of Sonoma/Mendocino County Line

Commercial fishing for Dungeness crab south of California’s Sonoma-Mendocino county line has been delayed by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) due to concerns over potential entanglement with high numbers of humpback whales in the area. The commercial fishery had been scheduled to open on Nov. 15 in fishing Zones 3, 4, 5 and 6. CDFW Director Charlton H. Bonham said this week that based on recent surveys large aggregations of humpback whales are continuing to forage in coastal waters of California and allowing use of crab traps would raise the risk of an entanglement. Bonham said his agency will continue to work with both recreational and commercial Dungeness crab fisheries to protect whales and sea turtles while striving to maximize fishing opportunity. Bonham said...
Peter Pan Seafood Names New CEO
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Peter Pan Seafood Names New CEO

Seafood industry veteran Kevin Bixler is joining Peter Pan Seafood Co. this month as its first chief executive officer since the new owners acquired the company. He is to play a key role in producing sustainable seafood that benefits people and the oceans, company officials say. Bixler most recently served as global director of group fish procurement with seafood product producer Thai Union Group, with company headquarters in Samut Sakhon, Thailand, where he led the company strategy on fish procurement. He also serves on the board of the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation and on the Legacy Foundation Advisory Board for the Rose Bowl. “Kevin’s experience at Thai Union, a global seafood leader, and his other various roles in the industry make him a natural fit for Peter Pan...
Coast Guard Encounters Russian, Chinese Ships Near Alaska
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Coast Guard Encounters Russian, Chinese Ships Near Alaska

Crew aboard a U.S. Coast Guard cutter homeported in Honolulu reported encountering a formation of Russian and Chinese naval ships near Alaska while on patrol in the Bering and Chukchi seas in October. A Coast Guard report from the cutter Kimball said that while on routine patrol the crew spotted a formation of naval ships from Russia and China transiting through the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone, but that the vessels did not enter U.S. territorial waters.   The Kimball came within about one mile of the naval ships, established and maintained radio contact, and ultimately ensured their presence was in accordance with international rules and norms. The Kimball and its crew covered more than 22,000 miles in over 100 days, conducting search and rescue and fisheries enforcement patrols in t...
Fishermen’s Organizations Join Ranks with Wind Power Venture
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Fishermen’s Organizations Join Ranks with Wind Power Venture

Two commercial fishermen’s organizations in California are partnering with a joint venture of wind power entities to facilitate communication, coordination and cooperation between the two industries for their mutual coordination and financial benefit. Partners in the Morro Bay Lease Areas Mutual Benefits Corporation (Morro Bay MBC), which was announced in mid-October, include the Morro Bay Commercial Fishermen’s Organization (MBCFO), the Port San Luis Commercial Fisherman’s Association (PSLCFA) and Castle Wind LLC, a joint venture between Trident Winds Inc. and TotalEnergies Renewables USA. The partners said the new entity creates a pathway for the industry to demonstrate to fishermen, the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the California Coastal Commission the commit...
Body Size of Atlantic Salmon Adapts to Habitat Changes: Study
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Body Size of Atlantic Salmon Adapts to Habitat Changes: Study

Norwegian researchers have released study results showing that the body size of Atlantic salmon can rapidly adapt to habitat changes. However, researchers Ingerid J. Hagen and Sten Kaflsson, of the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research in Trondheim, Norway said that understanding how species respond to habitat alternation is hampered by a lack of knowledge of the genetic basis of traits and a lack of data on changes in trails over time. The study, published by nonprofit news-release distribution platform EurekAlert in October, examined how the body mass of Atlantic salmon adapted to regulations tied to hydropower generation in the River Eira, a sport fishery in western Norway. There is also a population of sea trout in River Eira, but catch records in sea trout are not sufficient to...
Alaska Seeks Federal Disaster Declaration for Crab Fisheries
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Alaska Seeks Federal Disaster Declaration for Crab Fisheries

Alaska officials are seeking a federal fisheries disaster declaration for the 2022-23 Bristol Bay red king crab and Bering Sea snow crab fisheries. Gov. Mike Dunleavy said on Tuesday, Oct. 25 that he also has asked Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo to expedite a disaster determine for the 2021-22 red king crab fishery. Dunleavy’s plea to the Commerce Department said information available to him indicated that both crab stock declines were a result of natural causes linked to warming ocean temperatures. The fisheries industry and affected communities in Alaska will need economic relief, he said. Alaska’s lone member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola, has also urged aid for the crab industry, in a letter to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and House Appr...
NOAA Releases Five-Year Strategy for Combating IUU Fishing
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NOAA Releases Five-Year Strategy for Combating IUU Fishing

Federal fisheries officials and their partners have released their National Five-Year Strategy for Combating Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing, a global problem impacting ocean ecosystems, the economy and food security.  The strategy, announced in mid-October, details U.S. priorities and plans for the next five years to promote maritime security worldwide. The strategy includes a U.S. Interagency Working Group on IUU Fishing, composed of 21 member agencies building an expanding toolbox for partners to combat IUU fishing. Over the next five years, the working group plans to engage with five priority flag states and administrations: Ecuador, Panama, Senegal, Taiwan and Vietnam, focusing on helping them in their ongoing efforts to combat IUU fishing and related threats. ...
Numbers of Temporary Foreign Worker Visas To Nearly Double in 2023
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Numbers of Temporary Foreign Worker Visas To Nearly Double in 2023

The number of temporary nonagricultural worker visas to be issued for 2023 is expected to nearly double under a new H-2B plan from the Department of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Labor Department. The plan, which also protects foreign workers from exploitation from unscrupulous employers, was announced by Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas in mid-October, allowed for making these supplemental visas available on Oct. 1, the outset of the new fiscal year. American industries ranging from seafood processing, hospitality and tourism to landscaping and others depend on seasonal workers to meet demand. The supplemental visa allocation addresses seasonal worker needs where too few American workers are available for hire. Mayorkas said announcing the full year alloca...