Issue: August 2023

Pacific cod have expanded their summer travel range into the northern Bering Sea due to warming waters to the south, but appear to be migrating back to their typical spawning grounds in winter where their eggs are more likely to survive and hatch. That’s what scientists at the Alaska Fisheries Science Center in Seattle say they’re observing in their ongoing research on how Pacific cod will find suitable spawning habitat as new climate conditions in the ocean evolve in the 21st century. “There is always potential for adaptation, but it is typically slow,” said ecologist Lauren Rogers, also a co-author and colleague of Jennifer Bigman, the lead in the latest NOAA Fisheries research release on spawning habitat in the Bering Sea. “I think the bigger question is whether they will adapt to ...

With climate change stressing the region, the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council has been advised by a top regional government official of the importance of keeping small fishing communities in mind in its upcoming decisions. “You must be mindful of the decisions you make … so that the interests of small fishing communities are not disregarded,” Samoan Gov. Lemanu Peleti Mauga told the council in remarks during the opening of the council’s 195th meeting in Pago Pago, American Samoa on June 28. Although the territory itself has a small carbon footprint, climate change puts the region at risk of widespread food and water insecurity, increased health risks, lack of access to social services and even forced displacements in some cases, he said. Mauga’s comments came as the ...

In early June, the Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation (AFDF) issued a ‘Call for Product’ for its 2024 Alaska Symphony of Seafood competition. For the upcoming contest, a new ‘Around the Plate’ category has been added to the existing categories of ‘Retail,’ ‘Foodservice’ and ‘Beyond the Plate’ for this year’s competition, which commemorates the Symphony of Seafood’s 30th anniversary. There will also be awards for best packaging and best grab-and-go item. The new category will feature competing entries that are not the center-of-the-plate, such as condiments, appetizers, snacks or desserts. The Call for Product can be downloaded at https://tinyurl.com/3znjeus2.  The awards are being presented alongside the Grand Prize, Salmon Choice, Whitefish Choice, Seattle People’s Choice, Junea...

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has finalized tougher standards for chemical dispersants used in oil spill response in federal waters and adjoining shorelines, giving considerable authority to regional and area planners on whether such toxic chemicals may be used. The rule amending requirements of the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan, as published in the Federal Register on June 12, governs use of dispersants, other chemicals and other spill mitigating substances when responding to oil discharges into jurisdictional federal waters. The EPA’s action came on the heels of a 2020 lawsuit filed by several environmental entities, including Earth Island Institute, the lead plaintiff in the case. Alaska Community Action on Toxics, the Center for Biologi...

NOAA Fisheries on June 27 announced appointments and reappointments to the eight regional fishery management councils, including seats on the Pacific Council, North Pacific Council and Western Pacific Council. For the Pacific Council, with members from California, Idaho, Oregon and Washington, Aldrich “Butch” Smith of Washington, was reappointed to an obligatory seat and Bradley Pettinger of Oregon to an at-large seat. Smith is the owner of CoHo Enterprises, a construction firm, and Coho Charters & Motel, both in Ilwaco, Wash. Pettinger, a veteran West Coast harvester, is the former director of the Oregon Trawl Commission. Kenny Down of Washington was reappointed, and Ryuichi “Rudy” Tsukada of Alaska was appointed, to obligatory seats on the North Pacific Council, which has member...

A public-private partnership advocating for preserving oceans for future generations and more sustainable seafood has announced recognition of a Certified Seafood Collaborative fisheries program. The CSC’s Responsible Fisheries Management (RFM) program, based on version 2.0 of the Global Benchmark Tool, on June 30, became the first certification scheme to achieve Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative (GSSI) Initiative status.  The partnership was cited for bringing together more than 100 partners worldwide for the common cause of turning seafood into a driver for good and attempting to preserve oceans for future generations, GSSI officials said. The RFM program was assessed and found to meet all 142 essential components, aligning them with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). ...

Management issues related to non-Chinook salmon bycatch, particularly bycatch of chum salmon, are on the agenda for the October meeting of the North Pacific Fishery Management Council, which is set for Oct. 2-10 at the Hilton Hotel in Anchorage, Alaska.  According to the council’s website, a preliminary review draft, which was slated to come before a council initial review draft, is on the docket for the meeting. Publication of a National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) draft environmental impact statement (EIS) is not expected to happen before next year, Julie Fair, a spokesperson for NOAA Fisheries in Juneau, said. A Federal Register announcement on the proposed rule regarding salmon bycatch, posted on July 11, noted that written comment would be accepted through Sept. 15. The bycat...

Bipartisan legislation in the U.S. Senate to establish national standards for offshore aquaculture is drawing criticism from a group of fishermen, coastal communities and others concerned about potential adverse impact of factory fish farms on wild fish. The Advancing the Quality and Understanding of American Aquaculture (AQUAA) Act, reintroduced on June 7 by Senators Roger Wicker (R-Miss) and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), would designate the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as the lead federal agency for marine aquaculture and direct NOAA to establish a permitting system for offshore aquaculture for farms in federal waters. AQUAA would also direct NOAA to lead a research and development grant program to spur innovation in the aquaculture industry. Schatz called the b...

The Alaska Marine Safety Education Association’s Board of Directors on July 3 announced Leann Fay as the organization’s new executive director, taking over for longtime executive director Jerry Dzugan. Fay made the transition on July 1. Dzugan, AMSEA’s founding member and original executive director, headed AMSEA for 38 years as it attempted to change the face of marine safety across the nation.  Dzugan stepped away from the role of executive director to prioritize training and outreach. Fay is an experienced commercial fisherman and blue-water sailor. She has fished in Alaska’s black cod fisheries and continues to do so in the Southeast Alaska troll salmon and longline halibut (2C) fisheries. She spent the last two years as a marine safety instructor and researcher through AMSEA. Af...

Congresswoman Amata Radewagen (R-American Samoa) is expressing concern regarding a perceived lack of consultation with the U.S. territories affected by a NOAA-proposed sanctuary in the Pacific Remote Islands. In a video message during the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council (WPRFMC) on June 28, Radewagen stated her astonishment at the Biden administration’s failure to, she said, meaningfully consult and engage with the U.S. Pacific territories. Despite the authority granted by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the Congresswoman highlighted the Council’s lack of involvement in the decision-making process. She emphasized that the Administration was pursuing the wrong policy and employing an inappropriate approach. The official sanctuary propos...