April 2022 – Fishermens News

Regional Report: Hawaii and California Commercial Fisheries

Recent data shows commercial fisheries in Hawaii and California are healthy, while officials support projects focused on conservation, sustainability and access to more abundant stocks. The Golden and Aloha states, though also facing challenges related to COVID-19, were able to remain stable. NOAA Fisheries did report declines in the U.S. fishing and seafood industry as a result of the pandemic, with a return to normal unlikely to be imminent. HAWAII Economic conditions were challenging as demand dropped during the first year of the pandemic. But it has since rebounded as travel and the broader economy begin to stablilize, said Brett Schumacher of the Sustainable Fisheries Division for NOAA Fisheries’ Pacific Islands Region Office (PIRO) in an email. In Hawaii, COVID-19 presented cha...

“Once we’re gone, we’re not coming back.”

This month’s column is a bit different. While contemplating what to write about for this month’s issue, Mike had a conversation with longtime California commercial fisherman John Koeppen. John has seen the ups and downs of our profession and has been actively involved in fisheries management processes for many years. He told Mike of a topic he had long been considering writing about, and after further discussion, they came up with the following: “Once we’re gone, we’re not coming back.” I read this newspaper column headline recently and thought this article must be about the West Coast’s small-boat commercial fishing fleet. But no, it was about small, family-owned farms. While reading the article, I recognized an uncanny thread of similarities in the demise of the small family-owned far...

Size Counts – But One Size Doesn’t Fit All

Although few people go to a store to buy shoes without trying them on for fit, it has been observed that when buying survival suits, people look at the size range written on the suit, pay the bill and call it good. However, size counts whether you are buying shoes for walking or the survival suit you are depending for on your life. When a fishing vessel sank in the Gulf of Alaska, a small crew member who entered the water in a “universal” sized survival suit ended up needing to be held on a larger person’s body in rough seas. That’s because her suit was too large and the hood kept floating off her head, allowing water to enter the suit, and placing her in danger of drowning. Fortunately, the crew members were rescued by a Kodiak-based Coast Guard helicopter and survived to fish another...

State, Federal Researchers Invest in Climate Change Economics

Marine researchers at the federal and state levels are taking a proactive approach to harnessing information to boost reliance and reduce the impact of climate change on the multi-million-dollar fisheries economy in Pacific Coast states. Along with the effects of climate change, they’re also learning more about other cyclical intricacies of life in the oceans. In Oregon, for example, state legislators have made a nearly $1-million investment to address ocean acidification and hypoxia and the risks they pose to the state’s ecosystems and economy. The funds are being distributed to marine researchers through competitive grants. Laura Anderson, chair of the Oregon Ocean Science Trust, which will manage distribution of the grants, expressed gratitude to lawmakers for understanding the va...

Territory Restrictions: Shifts in America the Beautiful

The Biden Administration wants to place limits on 30% of America’s land and sea territory – an area about the size of India. The extent, or degree, of those restrictions is under development now. The goal is to have boundaries in place before 2030 – or 30x30 for short. This effort originates from President Biden’s Executive Order – “Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad” which requires recommendations “to achieve the goal of conserving at least 30% of U.S. lands and waters by 2030.” It has been dubbed “America the Beautiful.” NOAA has a lead role in this project and last October published a request for information (RFI) “seeking public input on how NOAA should, using its existing authorities and associated measures, conserve and restore America’s oceans, coasts and Great Lakes...

NPFMC Honors Federal Attorney, Scientist for Outstanding Achievement

Members of the North Pacific Fishery Management Council, meeting virtually in early February due to the ongoing COVID-19 global pandemic, recognized retiring two federal officials, attorney Lauren Smoker and scientist Anne Hollowed, for outstanding achievement. Smoker, who has served as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) General Counsel for three decades, was presented with the Bob Mace Distinguished Service Award. Council members noted that Smoker worked on some of the most complex and controversial fishery management actions in Alaska, including the Community Development Quota Program, the Crab Rationalization and Amendment 80 programs, and salmon management. The council said her depth of knowledge about the legal requirements of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Co...

Genetically Engineered Fish Producer Plans Ohio Salmon Farm

AquaBounty Technologies Inc., a land-based firm that produces genetically modified salmon, has announced plans to construct a 10,000-metric ton salmon farm in the village of Pioneer, Ohio. The company said in a statement to investors in late January that they have implemented rigorous processes to mitigate potential supply chain challenges resulting from the current market environment, while containing any potential price increases, including ordering of key technology items for the farm. AquaBounty also has aquaculture farms in Prince Edward Island, Canada and the state of Indiana. The genetically modified product is described by the company as a fish free of antibiotics and other contaminants, raised in land-based Recirculating Aquaculture Systems designed to prevent disease and incl...

NOAA Calls Sea Level Rise Report a Global Wake Up Call

Scientists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are citing their new sea level rise report as a global wake-up call that offers America information to act now to best position the nation for the future. “As we build a climate ready nation these updated data can inform coastal communities and others about current and future vulnerabilities in the face of climate change and help them make smart decisions to keep people and property safe over the long run,” NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad said. “The U.S. will see as much sea level rise in 30 years as we have seen over the last century,” he remarked. The research, which is the first update since 2017, offers projections out to the year 2150, with information to help communities, particularly coastal communities assess...

Project to Aid in Reintroduction of Chinooks to Historic Habitat

A pilot project to reintroduce endangered winter-run Chinook salmon and other salmon runs to their historical habitat in the McCloud Arm of the Shasta reservoir has been funded by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW). The project in California’s Central Valley is designed to solve what may be the biggest challenge in reintroducing the salmon to the cold McCloud River. The $1.5 million grant for this first year of testing the collection system, leveraged by CDFW from the Wildlife Conservation Board, is going to the state’s Department of Water Resources (DWR). The collection system consists of a debris broom, guidance net, fish trap and temperature curtain, which will be tested in the McCloud Arm of the reservoir from mid-September to mid-November after recreational act...

NPFMC Moves Forward on Changes in Halibut Catch Sharing

An initial review is expected in December on the contentious halibut Catch Share Plan before the North Pacific Fishery Management Council, in the wake of a decision at its virtual meeting in February to direct staff to produce a detailed analysis of alternative options. The council said the analysis of both options to one alternative should maintain the current approach for transition between tiers within the charter fleet to ensure stable allocations for the charter sector and to explore methods of implementing charter measures for more than one year through the council process or domestic regulations. The other alternative calls for status quo. The National Marine Fisheries Service develops and enforces fishing regulations in U.S. waters. It is the federal fisheries council’s respons...