April 2023 – Fishermens News

BOF Restricts Area M Harvest Times as Part of Commercial-Subsistence Harvesters Battle

After hours of testimony and discussion regarding the intercept salmon fishery prized by both commercial and subsistence harvesters, Alaska fisheries managers on Feb. 25 reduced harvest times for Area M’s South Peninsula fishery in a manner that left nobody happy. Area M fishermen said the decision of the Alaska Board of Fisheries could mean huge loses for communities dependent on that income to pay for vital aspects of local governments in coastal Alaska. But for people from the Alaska-Yukon-Kuskokwim (AYK) region of western Alaska, who have not been allowed even subsistence harvests with salmon run returns at record lows for three years, that decision was devastating. After the board voted down a proposal that would have significantly reduced commercial fishing times and areas in th...

From the Editor: Oil Spill Aftermath

The massive oil spill that accidentally dumped tens of thousands of gallons of crude oil in the waters off the Southern California coast in October 2021 may have been cleaned up and forgotten about by some, but the ramifications continue to be felt by shipping companies involved in the incident. Case in point: on March 1, the oil pipeline’s owner, Texas-based Amplify Energy, said that it had reached a $96 million settlement with various parties over the spill. The oil company has maintained that as a result of negligent conduct, an estimated 25,000 gallons of crude oil were discharged from a crack in the 16-inch pipeline about 4.7 miles offshore of the Orange County city of Huntington Beach. Amplify has reached a settlement of its claims against the m/v Danit, which is operated by MSC M...

PFMC Urges Rescinding Oregon OSW Call Areas

The Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) on March 9 joined commercial fisheries entities in recommending that the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) rescind the current Oregon call areas designated for floating offshore wind energy management and restart the siting process. In reconsidering the issue, the PFMC urged BOEM to use a spatial mapping tool focused on identifying deconflicted areas suitable for wind energy development. A copy of the council’s recommendation was also sent to Oregon Gov. Tina Kotel. Seven council advisory groups have provided statements voicing concerns about the current process, with several calling for BOEM to rescind the current call areas. “The Council’s action sends a strong signal to BOEM that fisheries leaders do not want to risk losing our ...

Skipper Science Matchmaking Project Doubles Participation

A collaborative effort of environmental, scientific, industry and tribal partners will involve an increasing number of commercial fishermen, who’ll share ecological observations on fisheries and oceans with researchers studying climate change. The Skipper Science Partnership, now in its third year in Alaska, continues to attract more fishermen willing to provide feedback on their observations at sea. In 2022, the second year of the project, more than 150 fishermen offered their opinions on climate change and feedback on their experiences with the program and the app via phone interviews. “Our next phase will be to match fishermen in specific regions and fisheries with scientists and managers in those areas to collect data points that support specific projects ad research needs,” Lindsey...

Oregon Cancels 2023 Commercial Ocean Troll Salmon Fishery Seasons

The commercial ocean troll salmon fishery seasons scheduled to be open between March 15 and May 15 in all areas from Cape Falcon to the Oregon-California border are canceled for 2023, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife announced March 9. In a statement explaining the rational for its decision, ODFW said that multiple stocks of California Chinook salmon are at “extremely low abundance” and are projected to potentially fall below target spawning escapements. “Guidance from the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) for 2023 ocean salmon seasons for Sacramento River fall Chinook was that ‘extraordinary measures are needed in 2023 to address these circumstances and to ensure that fishery management is not a contributing factor’,” ODFW said in its announcement. For Klamath River fa...

Fisheries Update

Participants in the Southwest Alaska Municipal Conference (SWAMC) March 2-3 at the Hotel Captain Cook in Anchorage heard an update on fish management, research projects and markets from Nicole Kimball, left, representing the North Pacific Fishery Management Conference; Ashley Heimbigner, communications director at the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute, center, and Alaska Fish and Game Commissioner Doug Vincent-Lang. The annual gathering includes reports and updates on socioeconomic topics from broadcast and health care to mariculture, plus updates from legislators representing Southwest Alaska.

Congressional Group Urges USDA to Purchase Seafood Products

Four U.S. senators and six U.S. House of Representatives members from Washington, Oregon and California have asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture to continue purchases of West Coast seafood products for the economic benefit of the industry and coastal communities. Pacific Northwest and West Coast seafood products are currently being produced in large volumes, easily accessible and easily transportable for immediate distribution to food assistance program, they told Secretary of Agriculture Thomas Vilsack in a letter, noting economic challenges the seafood industry has been facing, from the COVID-19 pandemic to the war in Ukraine. The purchases are being made under Section 32 of the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1935, which authorizes USDA to support prices of commodities in surplu...

Calif. Fishery Scientists Announce Poor 2023 Outlook for Ocean Salmon Stocks

At the annual Salmon Information Meeting held virtually on March 1, state and federal fishery scientists presented the numbers of spawning salmon that returned to California’s rivers late in 2022 and announced poor abundance forecasts for key state stocks. The 2023 projection for Sacramento River fall Chinook, the most predominant stock harvested in California’s fisheries, is estimated at 169,767 adults, one of the lowest forecasts since 2008 when the current assessment method began. For Klamath River fall Chinook the forecast is 103,793 adults, the second lowest forecast since the current assessment method began in 1997. Although low, neither abundance forecast is the lowest recorded. In 2009, the Sacramento forecast was 122,200 and in 2017, Klamath’s was 54,200. Salmon numbers a...

Bering Sea Crabbers Partner With Alaska, Feds to Study Red King Crab

Harvesters in the Bristol Bay red king crab fishery are partnering with federal and state agencies to collect critical winter data in a month-long project that was slated to start in March. The research goal is to collect data sought by the North Pacific Fishery Management Council to help shape decisions on how to improve those stocks and allow the multi-million-dollar fishery to resume. The study’s lead, Mike Litzow of NOAA Fisheries’ Alaska Fisheries Science Center, said the collaboration offered an exciting chance to study these crab stocks in winter. “That’s when people really interact with the stock – the Bristol Bay red king crab fishery and many other fisheries that potentially interact with crab take place in fall and winter,” Litzow said. “But because of the difficulty of wor...

WSG to Conduct Sea Safety, Survival Course

Washington Sea Grant intends to conduct a drill instructor course on sea safety and survival for commercial fishermen and charter boat operators on April 21 in Westport, Wash. The Coast Guard-approved workshop meets the training requirements of the Commercial Fishing Safety Act to conduct drills, according to Sea Grant. The coursework combines lecture and hands-on experience with the safety and survival equipment now required for commercial fishing vessels. Participants will be taught about emergency procedures and be trained to develop appropriate emergency drills for their own vessels. Those participating are asked to bring deck boots, survival suits and a change of clothes. Commercial harvesters can take the course for $50, thanks to program support from the Seattle Fishermen’s Memor...