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NMFS Extends Pacific Halibut Bycatch Retention in Oregon, Washington, California
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NMFS Extends Pacific Halibut Bycatch Retention in Oregon, Washington, California

The National Marine Fisheries Service, aka NOAA Fisheries, has agreed in consultation with the states of Oregon, Washington and California has agreed to new rules for retention of Pacific halibut incidental harvests in the commercial troll salmon season in those states. Under current regulations, retention of Pacific halibut bycatch continues past June 30. However all participants retaining those halibut must have applied for and received an incidental troll salmon halibut permit from the International Pacific Halibut Commission. Currently vessels are limited to one Pacific halibut for every two Chinook salmon, plus one Pacific halibut in possession, up to a maximum of 35 Pacific halibut per trip. All Chinook salmon must be landed with the Pacific halibut. Oregon Department of...
Scientific Report Urges Steps to Keep Salmon Habitat Safe From BC Mining Boom
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Scientific Report Urges Steps to Keep Salmon Habitat Safe From BC Mining Boom

A collaborative report by 23 science and policy experts published in the peer-reviewed journal Science Advances says the mining industry is falling short of ensuring the health of wild salmon rivers in Western North America and British Columbia and threatening the future of wild salmon population. “The paper makes it clear that we need to improve risk assessments that take into account extreme climate events and cumulative effects, and that some places may be best as no-go zones for mining,” said Nikki Skuce, a co-author of the paper who serves as co-chair of the BC Mining Law Reform network. Science Advances, a multidisciplinary open-access scientific journal established in early 2015, is the first open-access journal published by the American Association for the Advancement of ...
WDFW Celebrates Commercial Dungeness Crab Fishery’s Electronic Monitoring Project
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WDFW Celebrates Commercial Dungeness Crab Fishery’s Electronic Monitoring Project

Biologists with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife say the coastal commercial Dungeness crab fishery is the state’s most economically significant commercial fishery, with an average annual ex-vessel value of about $46.5 million. The fishery is managed by WDFW along with four coastal treaty tribes and Harvest Management Plans between each tribe and WDFW are negotiated annually, in accordance with federal adjudication of fishing rights. Agreements often include temporary area-based measures, such as closures and/or pot limits, to achieve harvest sharing parity. Fishing location data for the non-tribal fleet, including data used to track harvest sharing throughout the season is currently collected using paper vessel logbooks and buyers’ fish receiving tickets. Robert ...
ASMI Partners with Cruise Industry to Promote Alaska Seafood
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ASMI Partners with Cruise Industry to Promote Alaska Seafood

Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute is partnering with Holland America Line to promote the company’s exclusive use of Alaska seafood on its six ships bringing visitors to the 49th state. ASMI spokeswoman Ashley Heimbigner said the partnership would include stories from harvesters and processors of Alaska seafood as well as chefs. Future programming initiatives are to include recipe development in concert with Holland America Line’s “Culinary Council,” in-destination video content, onboard Alaska seafood trivia and recipes from council Chef Ethan Stowell. ASMI and Holland America inaugurated their partnership on July 5, with Stowell joining Alaska commercial harvesters and local leaders in Juneau to demonstrate the depth and breadth of Alaska’s seafood bounty, including five specie...
Commercial Salmon Harvest in Alaska Reaches $16.3M Fish
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Commercial Salmon Harvest in Alaska Reaches $16.3M Fish

Commercial salmon harvests in Alaska are off to a robust start, with the central and westward regions of the state leading in harvests, putting the preliminary catch figure at upwards of 16 million fish, according to preliminary reports from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. As of Tuesday, June 28, ADF&G reports showed a catch of 16,324,000 salmon, including 13,231,000 sockeyes, two million chums, over one million humpies, 60,000 Chinooks and 2,000 coho salmon. In Bristol Bay alone, harvesters delivered nearly eight million fish through Monday, June 27, data show, including 7.8 million sockeyes 105,000 chums and one-thousand Chinooks. The largest catch came from the Nushagak District, with 3.5 million sockeyes, 105,000 chums and one thousand kings, followed by Egegik...
NOAA Promoting New Steps to Combat IUU Fishing
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NOAA Promoting New Steps to Combat IUU Fishing

NOAA is proposing new measures to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing activities and forced labor in the seafood supply chain. The proposed changes are part of a rulemaking process that will include a public comment period after these proposed changes are published in the Federal Register. NOAA’s proposal broadens the scope of activities that can be considered under the High Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act when identifying nations for IUU fishing, including pervasive and persistent fishing activities in waters under the jurisdiction of a nation, without authorization or in violation of that nation’s laws. In addition, fishing activities in waters beyond any national jurisdiction that involve the use of forced labor may be considered by NOAA...
BOEM Invites Public Comment on Draft Fisheries Mitigation Strategy
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BOEM Invites Public Comment on Draft Fisheries Mitigation Strategy

The federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management on June 23 issued draft guidance on mitigating potential impacts of offshore wind development on commercial and recreational fishing and is inviting public review and comment. The draft mitigation document is the next step in development of guidance for offshore wind companies that began in 2021 via a request for information from the fishing industry, government agencies, non-government organizations and the public, in consultation with the National Marine Fisheries Service. BOEM director Amanda Lefton said the agency is seeking open and honest conversations focused on finding solutions to potential challenges, with a goal of providing clean, safe domestic energy, plus good jobs, and building a U.S. supply chain to support this effort...
Coalition Petitions EPA to Update Proposed Rule on Dispersant Use
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Coalition Petitions EPA to Update Proposed Rule on Dispersant Use

A coalition of Gulf Coast advocates and environmental entities is petitioning the Environmental Protection Agency to supplement its proposed rule on dispersant use of oil spill response, a rule that hasn’t been updated since it was proposed in January 2015. The proposed rule would allow unlimited amounts of toxic dispersants to be used for unlimited durations on the sea surface and in the deep sea, which is what happened in response to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil disaster on April 20, 2010. One of the largest marine oil spills in history, the Deepwater Horizon incident was caused by the explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico, some 41 miles off the coast of Louisiana, and the subsequent sinking of the oil rig two days later. Four million barrels of oil...
USCG Conducts Dockside Exams on 300-Plus Bristol Bay Fishing Boats
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USCG Conducts Dockside Exams on 300-Plus Bristol Bay Fishing Boats

Coast Guard inspectors from Anchorage say that during a two-week deployment to Bristol Bay in mid-June, they completed 351 dockside exams and issued 276 safety decals for fishing vessels in communities throughout the region. Examiners said the exams focused on safety and addressed items such as flares, charts, navigational signals, fire extinguishers, emergency position indicating radio beacons and serviceability of immersion suits. Every vessel that passed the exam earned a decal, according to the USCG. From June 13 through June 24 they also removed 117 immersion suits from service because they were not serviceable. Most vessel owners replaced the unserviceable suits with new ones, the Coast Guard said. Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer David Schaeffer, fishing vessel safety ex...
EPA’s Revised Proposed Determination Scrutinized
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EPA’s Revised Proposed Determination Scrutinized

Proponents and opponents of the proposed Pebble mine project converged on the cities of Dillingham and Newhalen, and virtually in Southwest Alaska this past week to testify on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s revised proposed determination regarding a Clean Water Act permit, which they see as a long term way to stop construction of the mine. Their testimony came as fishermen and seafood processing workers headed for Bristol Bay to harvest and process the millions of red salmon forecast to return to the Bay in 2022. Several dozen opponents of the large-scale copper, gold and molybdenum mine turned out at the Dillingham hearing to testify. Mine boosters, including John Shively, chief executive officer of the Pebble Partnership, testified at Newhalen, contending that such ...