August 2024 – Page 3 – Fishermens News

Stock Assessment: Pacific Bluefin Tuna Rebounds

NOAA Fisheries scientists in late June heralded the recovery of Pacific bluefin tuna as a major milestone, saying the species has exceeded international rebuilding targets a decade ahead of schedule. In announcing the achievement on June 25, NOAA Fisheries credited international organizations across the Pacific with cooperating to reverse decades of overfishing for the prized species. The International Scientific Committee (ISC) for Tuna and Tuna-Like Species in the North Pacific Ocean, including NOAA Fisheries researchers, provided expertise to inform the needed conservation measures. The Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) and Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) adopted the measures. The new stock assessment was finalized recently by the Internationa...

2 Seafood Companies Fined by Oregon Environmental Quality Agency

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) said July 1 at it has issued wastewater penalties of $150,000 to Da Yang Seafoods and $22,800 to Astoria Pacific Seafoods, both headquartered in Astoria, and both for wastewater issues. According to DEQ, the penalties were issued to a total of 12 companies, including municipal facilities, for everything from failure to submit complete greenhouse gas emissions data reports to discharging of wastewater to the Columbia River without a permit. Each company must either pay the fines to the state treasury or file an appeal within 20 days of receiving notice of the penalty. State officials said they may be able to offset a portion of the penalty by funding a supplemental environmental project that improves Oregon’s environment. Penalties m...

Northern California Steelhead Remain Threatened

A recent Endangered Species Act five-year review shows water use, habitat loss and climate change continue to compromise recovery. Northern California steelhead require continued protection as a threatened species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, according to the results of a recent five-year review that was released July 9 by NOAA Fisheries. State and federal agencies, tribes and private landowners have completed numerous habitat restoration projects since the last review in 2016. However, the population faces continued threats from drought, high water temperatures, and water use, all exacerbated by the changing climate. The five-year review also found that water conservation should be integrated into habitat restoration projects to achieve maximum benefits. “Because climate c...

100-Ton Marine Travelift Christened by Marine Group Boat Works

San Diego boat repair and construction facility Marine Group Boat Works has installed a new 100-ton lift that can haul and move vessels to and from the water, the company announced July 3. Adding the 100-ton Variable Width Marine Travelift with a Tier 4 engine allows the company to serve a broader range of vessels without taking up too much room, the company said. “This is really about safely and efficiently maximizing space, especially with one of our busiest seasons upon us,” Marine Group Operations Director Eric Lundeen explained. “This new lift basically adds square footage to the facility without physically expanding the current yard. In other words, we’re able to block 18 vessels in a space that used to only fit 12 simply because the machine contracts to the vessels’ actual widt...

Comment Deadline Regarding Alaska Chinook Salmon Petition Extended

NOAA Fisheries has extended through Sept. 6 the deadline for public comment on its 90-day finding regarding a petition to list Gulf of Alaska Chinook salmon as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The 45-day extension was announced on June 27. The agency earlier had set a 60-day public comment period to end on July 23. In advance of its initial findings, NOAA solicited scientific and commercial information about the status of the Gulf of Alaska Chinook population. The agency noted that it’s unable to extend the statutory deadline for completing the status review and publishing a 12-month finding under the ESA. Given that requirement, anyone interested in submitting their comments and data is advised to do so as soon as possible to allow more time for review a...

Interior Department, Waterways Association Spar Over Lower Snake River Dams

Criticism of the negative impact of hydropower dams and a call for clean-energy options to aid restoration of restore wild fish to the Columbia River Basin is being countered by a trade association with interests in the Pacific Northwest. The Biden administration on June 18 announced creation of the Columbia River Task Force and the release of a landmark report acknowledging the harm that federal dams have continued to inflict on Native American tribes in the region. The interagency task force advances a historic agreement to work in partnership with tribes and states from the Pacific Northwest to restore wild salmon populations in the Columbia River Basin and develop a long-term strategy to meet clean energy, transportation and other key needs of the region, the White House said. Int...

Baja California Sur Fisheries Remain Eye of Political Storm

Governments and interest groups continue to spar over IUU fishing and endangered species. The last of the world’s smallest porpoises, Chinese demand for “cocaine of the sea,” endangered fish bladders and red snapper poaching are all factors in an international political storm over the commercial fisheries of Baja California Sur of Mexico. A flurry of diplomatic overtures and the dangling threat of U.S. trade restrictions on Mexican fish imports looms as 2024 emerges as something of a crossroads year. A larger-than-normal dead-zone forecast probably isn’t helping the situation. Worsening U.S.-Mexico Fisheries Relations As Fishermen’s News has reported in the past, Baja California waters have been affected by unsustainable fishing practices and criminal enterprises for years. Previous ...

The Truth About Fishermen and Ocean Conservation

When many people think of conservationists, they rarely picture commercial fishermen. But the truth is, we’ve been leading conservation efforts since before conservation was a thing. We always have been deeply invested in the health and sustainability of our marine ecosystems. We might not throw around the latest buzzwords and most of our knowledge doesn’t come from reading reports or crunching data. But make no mistake, we are paying attention—and are deeply concerned about the future of our industry and of our planet. A Deep Connection with Nature For many generations, commercial fishermen have spent countless hours at sea in every condition imaginable, doing what very few can truly comprehend. It’s impossible to live this life without feeling a profound connection to the ocean and ev...