August 2023 – Fishermens News

How West Coast Fisheries Can Prepare for Challenges of Climate Change

The bad news about climate change is that nearly everything in our fragile ocean environment is about to shift, and indeed is already changing, in ways likely to be detrimental to our existing fisheries. The good news, however, is that there are a number of things our fisheries managers—and our industry—can still do to prepare and be ready for those challenges. In case you missed them, two thorough California Current climate change Vulnerability Assessments (VAs) have been released for Pacific Salmon & Steelhead (VA 2019) and Other Managed Species (VA 2023). The latter also includes salmonids. Data and assessments from these documents, produced by National Marine Fisheries Services Science Center staff and other partners, are also being made available in other formats (e.g., the Pac...

New Data Visualization Tool Helps Fishermen See Where, How At-Sea Injuries Happen

Oregon State University and Oregon Sea Grant, as part of ongoing work with the commercial fishing fleet in the Pacific Northwest and beyond, have developed a research program based on fishermen’s feedback on topics related to injury prevention and health of the fleets. One important part is sharing what we learn with fishermen. As health and safety professionals, understanding the patterns of injuries and what has happened helps to identify opportunities to support fishermen. The Risk Information System for Commercial Fishing (RISC) project (https://tinyurl.com/3zhavcun) uses existing datasets from the U.S. Coast Guard and state emergency room registries, as well as information collected straight from fishermen, to help estimate injury risk and risk factors in commercial fishing in the...

Coast Guard Conducts Compliance and Port Security Operation in Guam

On June 15, a U.S. Coast Guard Forces Micronesia/Sector Guam team conducted a port state control examination on the 472-foot Singapore-flagged commercial cargo vessel Kota Raja at the Port of Guam. Examiners found no significant deficiencies aboard, but Coast Guard officials said the examination “highlights the importance and impact of mariners taking the port security requirements seriously.” “The attention paid by examiners conducting multiple compliance inspections and exams on vessels in the area highlights the strategic value of Guam’s port to the people of Guam and the wider region,” the Guard said in a statement. The port state control program helps ensure that foreign-flagged vessels calling on U.S. ports adhere to established safety and environmental regulations. By conductin...

Fishing Boat Operator Sentenced for Human Smuggling, Ramming Coast Guard Vessel

A man who was piloting panga boat has been sentenced to prison following a December 2022 incident where he intentionally rammed a Coast Guard vessel while smuggling nearly a dozen migrants in the San Diego area. Jesus Alcaraz-Valdez was sentenced in federal court on July 12 to 60 months in prison for bringing in nearly a dozen undocumented migrants for financial gain and ramming a Coast Guard vessel in an attempt to escape law enforcement. During the early morning hours of Dec. 17, 2022, Alcaraz shuttled about 12 undocumented migrants from Mexico across the maritime boundary line to the vicinity of the Hotel Del Coronado in Coronado, California, near San Diego. Before reaching shore, Alcaraz instructed the passengers to remove lifejackets and enter waist-deep surf, even though some could...

Coast Guard Cutter Healy Gets New C.O., Departs for Arctic

Capt. Michele Schallip on June 29 returned for a second tour as commanding officer of the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Healy, one of two active icebreakers homeported in Seattle. Commissioned in 1999, the Healy is the newest, largest and most technologically advanced icebreaker in the Coast Guard’s fleet. Adm. Linda Fagan, commandant of the US. Coast Guard presided over the change of command ceremonies in Seattle in which Schallip relieved Capt. Kenneth Boda as commanding officer. Schallip previously served as the ship’s executive officer from 2018 to 2020. Boda served as the Healy’s commanding officer from June 2021 to June 2023. Twice during Boda’s tenure, the Healy was deployed to the Arctic region, including trips to circumnavigate North America and to transit the geographic North Pole...

Marine Aquaculture: Is it the Future of Seafood

While the concept of marine aquaculture – the nurturing and harvesting of aquatic plants and animals – has been around for decades in the U.S., the practice has been gaining more traction in recent years. Factors such as climate change and the growing consumer demand for seafood have been driving the conversation about whether aquaculture could be a viable alternative to the wild-caught seafood industry. Interest for seafood has been growing, especially among those with resources and consumers who are health and environmentally conscious. “As people become more affluent around the world, there’s more capacity to pay for that seafood, and what I’ve seen recently is a large (segment) of the environmental community … have come to recognize this as well,” said Neil Anthony Sims, a marine ...

Propulsion 2023: Advances in Options

Advances in propulsion options for commercial fishing vessels continue to grow as the industry adapts to changing technologies and new fuel options. Customers are looking for options that are fully customized to their needs, while meeting regulations and reducing emissions. Some of the most well-known manufacturers continue to blaze the trail of innovation. They include: Wärtsilä Wärtsilä offers a complete propulsion line, including engine, gearbox and controllable pitch propellers. The configuration and scope are tailored and defined based on the vessel needs and operating profile. Wärtsilä’s Controllable Pitch (WCP) propeller system is a fully customized combination of a hub, propeller blades, shafting, hydraulics and a control system, as well as further accessories needed to meet c...

NOMAR Offers One-Stop Shopping, from Fishing Gear to Maritime Clothing

On a winter’s day in 1982, a couple of fishermen walked into Kate Mitchell’s canvas and upholstery shop in Homer with a problem: their net brailers were marking their catch, so many of their fish were downgraded by processors. They asked Mitchell if she would build a bag that would work to quickly offload the catch, but not mark the fish. “They had a problem, and I had a sewing machine,” recalls Mitchell, founder of NOMAR, the now well-known marine company with an 18,000-square-foot manufacturing and retail store facility in Homer, Alaska, with and customers nationwide. Seafood harvesters in Bristol Bay and False Pass were delivering their salmon harvests in seine web bags and fish pressed against the web were getting marked, making them of lower value to processors. So, Mitchell got ...

CQ Foods Partners with Alaska Seafood Industry to Boost Salmon Quality

Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association (BBRSDA) is partnering for a fourth year with a Texas firm to boost the value of the world’s largest wild sockeye salmon fishery, using technology that measures salmon quality data on tenders and processing plants in Bristol Bay. CQ Foods’ mandate is for quality measurements this summer on thousands of salmon, using a Certified Quality Reader 3.0 (CQR 3.0) device and mobile application. The device utilizes bioelectrical impedance analysis to instantly measure meat qualify for a variety of protein foods, calculating the breakdown of internal cells of the fish due to handling. BBRSDA officials said the project is part of their continued commitment to maximizing the quality of Bristol Bay salmon. CQ Foods works directly with Bristol ...

Appeals Court Decision Creates New Barrier to Road to Cold Bay

A June 15 federal appeals court decision has granted an Interior Department motion to dismiss a case in which residents of King Cove on the Alaska Peninsula, have sought for years to complete a road connecting their fisheries community with the all-weather airport at Cold Bay. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals decision was hailed by environmental entities opposed to connecting existing roads between the two communities as a victory for area wildlife. Proponents of the road, who see that connection as a necessity for getting people with medical emergencies to Anchorage – 650 air miles away – already are pondering their next legal steps. At issue is the fact that 11 miles of the road would run through Izembek National Wildlife Refuge, which includes thousands of acres of extensive wetland...