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Calif. Commercial Dungeness Crab Fishery Delayed to Protect Whales from Entanglement
30Oct By Fishermen's NewsNo Comments
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Calif. Commercial Dungeness Crab Fishery Delayed to Protect Whales from Entanglement

California’s 2024 commercial Dungeness crab fishery, which had been scheduled to open Nov. 15, has been delayed due to a high abundance of humpback whales and large number of recent entanglements in fishing areas. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife announced Oct. 25 that the commercial Dungeness crab fishery south of the Sonoma/Mendocino County line would not open as scheduled in Fishing Zones 3, 4, 5 and 6 due to the aforementioned issues regarding whales. CDFW said that it anticipates the next risk assessment will take place on or around Nov. 15, at which time the agency’s director will re-evaluate risk for the Dungeness crab fisheries. That risk assessment is expected to inform the potential for a statewide commercial fishery opener on Dec. 1, as well as the pot...
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NOAA Seeks Information from Commercial Harvesters on Marine Mammal Deterrents
30Oct By Fishermen's NewsNo Comments
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NOAA Seeks Information from Commercial Harvesters on Marine Mammal Deterrents

NOAA’s Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee (MAFAC) has released a survey to gather knowledge and perceptions about the nature of marine mammal interactions and use of deterrents currently employed by commercial, recreational and tribal fishermen; aquaculture farmers; and marina and coastal property owners and managers. Developed in response to a request from NOAA Fisheries, the data collected is expected to be used to create an index to identify the relative effectiveness of different allowable deterrents used by various user groups nationwide to reduce the risk of expected losses from damage by marine mammals on various user groups nationwide. The survey’s stated goal is to help NOAA Fisheries identify and prioritize marine mammal deterrents that should be tested for their effec...
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Washington Natural Resources Dept. Begins Cleanup of Puget Sound Pollution
30Oct By Fishermen's NewsNo Comments
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Washington Natural Resources Dept. Begins Cleanup of Puget Sound Pollution

Officials with the Washington Department of Natural Resources are removing makeshift tire reefs from Puget Sound as part of the agency’s new Tire Pile Removal Program, which is part of a strategy to protect and restore salmon habitat. The tires were installed as artificial reefs from the 1960s to1980s by several Washington state groups to increase habitat or swindling rockfish and lingcod populations. On Oct. 24, Washington State Public Lands Commissioner Hilary Franz said it was important to remove pollutants like these tire reefs now, before they become a larger problem across Puget Sound. The polypropylene rope holding bundles of tires together is wearing down, causing tires to drift and pollute waterways and beaches. Once on land, the tires break down faster, which can res...
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At-Sea Processors CEO Madsen to Retire in December, Tinning to Assume Role
30Oct By Fishermen's NewsNo Comments
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At-Sea Processors CEO Madsen to Retire in December, Tinning to Assume Role

Seafood industry veteran Stephanie Madsen is retiring as CEO of the At-Sea Processors Association (APA) at year’s end. Matt Tinning has been tapped as the organization’s next CEO, with Caitlin Yeager joining APA as vice president of policy and engagement. The upcoming changes were announced Oct. 28. Madsen began working in the seafood industry more than 40 years ago after moving to Unalaska. She served two terms on the North Pacific Fishery Management Council—four years as the first woman chair—and as vice president of the Pacific Seafood Processors Association. She has been executive director of APA for the past 18 years. APA President Jim Johnson noted that when Madsen arrived in Dutch Harbor over four decades ago, the Alaska pollock industry was in its infancy. Madsen's ...
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Prince William Sound Fishermen Get Herring Opener, Looking For Buyers
30Oct By Fishermen's NewsNo Comments
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Prince William Sound Fishermen Get Herring Opener, Looking For Buyers

Commercial harvesters in Cordova, Alaska say they’re excited about an announcement from state fisheries officials to open the Prince William Sound herring food and bait fishery in November for the first time since 1998, but only if there is a buyer. The guideline harvest level, or GHL, announced Oct. 25, is for 500 tons of herring. Fishermen have made inquiries to processors in Cordova, whose facilities are currently closed. As of Oct. 28, they’ve received no confirmation of processing facilities opening. Veteran fisherman Ken Jones noted that even last year, those canneries didn't open until May. Back in the 1970s and 1980s, before the Exxon Valdez oil spill disaster, pretty much everyone was involved in the herring fishery; Jones said there are over 100 permits for commercia...
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Washington Fish & Wildlife Seeking Members for New Engagement Committees
23Oct By Mark Edward NeroNo Comments
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Washington Fish & Wildlife Seeking Members for New Engagement Committees

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is seeking members for new Regional Engagement Committees (RECs) in the North Puget Sound and North Central regions. The committees will represent local interests, as well as provide input on regional conservation efforts. Members of the public and relevant organizations interested in fish, wildlife and habitat conservation are encouraged to apply. Applications are due by Dec. 2 and may be submitted through an online form or by completing an application form and submitting via email or postal mail. Members will be appointed to two-year terms, with committees are expected to begin quarterly meetings in 2025. Meetings are planned as to be a mix of in-person at WDFW’s regional headquarters or other locations within each region...
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First Salmon Since 1912 Spotted in Oregon’s Klamath Basin Following Dam Removal
23Oct By Mark Edward NeroNo Comments
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First Salmon Since 1912 Spotted in Oregon’s Klamath Basin Following Dam Removal

On Oct.16, a fall-run Chinook salmon was identified in a tributary to the Klamath River, becoming the first of the fish to return to the Klamath Basin in Oregon since 1912 when the first of four hydroelectric dams was constructed, blocking migration. The salmon – part of a species which travel up rivers from the sea to breed – was identified by Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife fish biologists. The Chinook and others likely traveled about 230 miles from the Pacific Ocean to reach the tributary, months after the Klamath River dams were removed to ensure fish passage from California to Oregon. “This is an exciting and historic development in the Klamath Basin that demonstrates the resiliency of salmon and steelhead,” ODFW Director Debbie Colbert said. “It also inspires us to c...
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SF Commercial Fishermen Come Out Against Fisherman’s Wharf Development Plan
23Oct By Mark Edward NeroNo Comments
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SF Commercial Fishermen Come Out Against Fisherman’s Wharf Development Plan

Commercial fishermen in the San Francisco area have come out in opposition of a $550 million development proposal that proponents say would revitalize the city’s Fisherman’s Wharf area, but that opponents say would devastate local commercial fishing. The proposal moved a step forward when it was endorsed by the San Francisco Port Commission in early October. But members of the San Francisco Crab Boat Owners’ Association are saying that the redevelopment of portions of Pier 45 would be an existential threat to their livelihood. Under the proposal, a development company seeks to build a dynamic mixed use waterfront project that includes a museum and event center on the eastern half of Pier 45. Core elements of the museum would include a new fish and seafood processing facility w...
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Trident Declines to Open St. Paul, Alaska Snow Crab Processing Facility
23Oct By Mark Edward NeroNo Comments
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Trident Declines to Open St. Paul, Alaska Snow Crab Processing Facility

A decision by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game to reopen the snow crab fishery this year could have offered some economic relief to the Pribilof Island city of St. Paul, with a population of some 300 people, but now Trident Seafoods says its plant there won't reopen for economic reasons. Trident in mid-October confirmed plans to work with stakeholders and the community of St. Paul, after telling the North Pacific Fishery Management Council during its October meeting in Anchorage that there were many reasons for its decision to keep the plant closed. Unalaska public radio station KUCB noted that Shannon Carroll, Trident's director of public affairs and fisheries development, told the council that the low total allowable catch (TAC) set by ADF&G would mean a significant l...
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U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Oliver Berry Returns Following 46-Day Anti-IUU Patrol
23Oct By Mark Edward NeroNo Comments
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U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Oliver Berry Returns Following 46-Day Anti-IUU Patrol

The crew of Coast Guard cutter Oliver Berry returned to its homeport of Honolulu in late September after completing a 46-day patrol in Oceania. The crew's efforts included enhancing maritime domain awareness, combatting illegal fishing activities across Oceania and strengthening relationships with regional partners. During the patrol, the cutter’s crew enacted two bilateral maritime law enforcement agreements with Fiji and Samoa. The cutter departed Coast Guard Base Honolulu in August and traveled more than 7,600 nautical miles from the Hawaiian Islands to the west coast of Fiji. The patrol was in support of Operation Blue Pacific, a Coast Guard District 14 mission promoting security, safety, sovereignty and economic prosperity in Oceania. While in Fiji, the crew exercised the...
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