July 2023 – Page 2 – Fishermens News

Saltonstall-Kennedy Fisheries Grant Applications Due Next Month

Applications are due by July 24 for federal funds to be awarded for fisheries research and development projects in 2024 through the Saltonstall-Kennedy Act, including but not limited to harvesting, processing, marketing and associated business infrastructures. About 40 grants of various amounts are expected to be awarded from $10 million available through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, in amounts ranging from $25,000 to $500,000. The funds are for up to a two-year period. No matching funds are required and are not considered during the evaluation process. The program supports cultural and gender diversity. Women and minority individuals and groups are encouraged to apply, as well as historic Black colleges and universities, Hispanic serving institutions and tribal...

Studies Show Major Fish Populations Are Relocating to North, South Poles

Scientists at the University of Glasgow in Scotland say their research shows that the majority of fish populations in the world’s oceans are responding to climate change by relocating towards colder waters nearer the north and south poles. This latest study, released on May 31, identifies many marine fish populations shifting toward the Earth’s poles or moving to deeper waters, all in an effort to stay cool. For much of marine life, water temperature affects critical functions such as metabolism, growth and reproduction. Various marine species have a very narrow livable temperature range. As a result, marine life changes caused by global warming have been up to seven-fold faster than animal responses on land. This latest study examined data on 115 species spanning all major oceanic reg...

NOAA Adds Alaska As Aquaculture Opportunity Area

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on June 1 named Alaska as the third region nationwide for identifying areas for sustainable aquaculture development within coastal and marine waters. These areas will be selected through engagement with tribes and the public, a process that allows constituents to share their community, tribal and stewardship goals for such development. Alaska joins Southern California and the Gulf of Mexico in the Aquaculture Opportunity Areas (AOA) program through the multi-year partnership process involving NOAA. During a previous comment period, NOAA received public support for aquaculture from Alaska Native organizations, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, the state of Alaska, the Alaska Legislature and industry and research institutions. W...

NPAFC: North Pacific 2022 Salmon Catch Was Second Lowest of 21st Century

A preliminary report issued May 19 during the annual meeting of the North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission (NPAFC) in South Korea, states that the Pacific salmon harvest in the North Pacific Ocean in 2022 was the second lowest catch of the 21st century. Despite a growth in total catch compared to 2020, even-year pink salmon catch continued to decline to a level last seen from 1988 through 1992, data show. The last time the pink salmon portion of total catch weight equaled 36% was in 1994 and 1996. The report was compiled using data provided by member countries Canada, Japan, South Korea, Russian and the U.S. Individual country totals reported were: 50% by the U.S. (352,000 metric tons, of which 342,000 metric tons was caught in Alaska); 37% by Russia (265,000 metric tons), 12.4% by J...

Study: If Properly Managed, Atlantic Cod Stocks Could Rebound

New research on Atlantic cod, led by scientists at Rutgers University, concludes that if properly managed, stocks of the popular white fish may rebound now that commercial fishing pressure has been reduced. The study, published in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, offers the first genomic evidence that Atlantic cod evolved new traits over only decades during a period of overfishing—evolutionary changes that scientists formerly believed could take millions of years. “The discovery was made possible by new technology that allowed us to extract and read the genetic code of cod, some caught more than 110 years ago, as well as new analytical techniques that detect subtle changes in that genetic code,” said Malin Pinsky, senior author on the study a...

MPAs and Commercial Fishing

For some time, the conventional wisdom has been that designating certain waters as Marine Protected Areas—where commercial fishing is off limits—hurts the fishing industry due to a corresponding reduction in catch, and that the reduction in turn drives seafood prices higher globally. But is this really accurate? A new study published in the scientific journal Science Advances, says it is not. According to the study, which was published in the magazine’s June 2023 issue, the largest Marine Protected Area (MPA) in North America, located in the Mexican Pacific, does not harm industrial fishing. In fact, the information uncovered by four researchers concludes that the protected area has actually helped commercial fishing in the long run. The researchers, including a marine ecologist at th...

U.S., Philippine, Japan Coast Guards Conduct Trilateral Engagements

The U.S. Coast Guard cutter Stratton and crew arrived in Manila on June 1 to conduct professional exchanges and joint operations with members of the Philippine and Japan Coast Guards during Stratton’s months-long Indo-Pacific deployment. Members from the three Coast Guards engaged in the first ever group of trilateral activities at sea and in port during a multi-day visit building upon enduring partnerships between the nations. “We’re eager to join the Philippine and Japan Coast Guards and participate in meaningful engagements with our allies and partners both in port and at sea,” Stratton’s commanding officer, U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Brian Krautler, said. “This first trilateral engagement between the Coast Guards of these nations will provide invaluable opportunities to strengthen glob...

Coast Guard Rescues 2 from Capsized Fishing Boat Off SW Oregon Coast

The Coast Guard rescued two people from their boat after it capsized the night of June 7 off the coast of Nesika Beach, Oregon. According to the USCG, watchstanders at Coast Guard Columbia River received notification around 7:30 p.m. from the wife of the captain of a 26-foot commercial fishing vessel stating that her husband had not made it back to the marina at the time he said he would. Shortly thereafter, according to the Guard, watchstanders dispatched a rescue boatcrew from Station Chetco River aboard a 47-foot motor lifeboat and an aircrew aboard an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter from Air Station North Bend. They also conferred with the local police department who confirmed the operator’s truck and trailer were still at the boat ramp. The wife had also relayed to the Coast Guard that ...

USCG Completes Study Re: Safe Navigation Along West Coast

The U.S. Coast Guard said June 7 that it has published in the Federal Register a final report of the Pacific Coast Port Access Route Study (PAC-PARS), which is the first comprehensive evaluation of vessel traffic patterns that use Pacific coastal waters off California, Oregon and Washington. “The main goal of the PAC-PARS was to evaluate historic and future waterway usage to determine navigational risk and provide recommendations to uphold safety of navigation,” the Coast Guard explained in a statement. “To do this,” the statement continued, “the study examined vessel tracking data from the past 10 years and considered environmental data, existing and planned offshore development infrastructure and historical marine incident data among other datasets.” The Coast Guard also considered ...

Refrigeration 2023

Last year saw some significant additions for Integrated Marine Systems (IMS), based in Mukilteo, Wash. The big change? New hires in the engineering department, with the father-and-son duo of Tom and Vince Giacalone coming on board. “They’re working on RSW (refrigerated sea water) system design, sales engineering, quality control and updating BOMs (bills of material), manuals, and schematics,” Operations Director Kurt Ness told Fishermen’s News. “Vince is also spearheading a new product that will come to market in later (in) 2023; a revamped and modernized touchscreen RSW controller which will be fully customizable for specific applications and industries. The new controllers will also be able to replace old controllers and integrate with existing shipboard HMIs (human-machine interfaces) ...