May 2022 – Page 3 – Fishermens News

Thinking Clearly About Demolishing Dams

In the midst of the current regional debate over the fate of a number of dams, first off, to see why in many cases dam removal makes good sense, we should consider the current state of the nation’s aging dams. There are, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ National Inventory of Dams, approximately 84,000 dams in the nation providing a range of benefits that were built for a wide variety of purposes. This is a staggering number – almost one dam built in the U.S. for every day since the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. Yet no dam can exist forever. All have engineered lifespans, after which their reservoirs silt up, their concrete structures crack and deteriorate and they can catastrophically fail—endangering the lives, property and natural resources (including...

Banning Russian Seafood Imports

In case you missed it, on March 11, the Biden Administration imposed a federal ban on U.S. imports of Russian seafood in response to Russia’s invasion of neighboring country Ukraine. While the President’s action is to be applauded, it should not have taken a literal war for it to have been executed, in my opinion. In fact, it was something that the seafood industry has said was years overdue, because after all, Russia has banned imports of U.S. seafood since 2014. And the reason that came about was that in early 2014, while much of the world was focused on the winter Olympics at the time, Russia invaded and annexed Crimea, a peninsula that had been part of Ukraine. Following the annexation, the U.S. placed economic sanctions on Russia, and Russia retaliated by banning imports of America...

Pacific Fishery Management Council Releases Alternatives for 2022 West Coast Ocean Salmon Fisheries

The Pacific Fishery Management Council has adopted three alternatives for 2022 ocean salmon fisheries off Washington, Oregon and California for public review. The council was scheduled to make a final decision on salmon seasons at its April 6-13 meeting. Detailed information about season starting dates, areas open and catch limits for the three alternatives are available on the council’s website at www.pcouncil.org. Although forecasts for many Chinook and coho stocks have improved over last year, the council has said that it’s constrained by requirements to conserve Fraser River (Canada) coho, lower Columbia River natural tule Chinook and Klamath River fall Chinook. “Meeting our conservation and management objectives continues to be the highest priority for the council,” Chair Marc Gor...

Scientists, Volunteers Work to Disentangle Pinnipeds

In celebration of International Seal Day in late March, NOAA Fisheries highlighted the work of a team of dedicated scientists and volunteers to “lose the loop” and help entangled seals, sea lions and walrus, inquisitive animals also known as pinnipeds. Their curiosity makes them vulnerable to becoming entangled in loop-shaped marine debris such as packing ands and abandoned fish nets, snagged by fishing hooks and entangled in other garbage in the marine ecosystem. In 2009 a group of marine mammal scientists in the United States decided to form the Pinniped Entanglement Group, with a focus on prevention of entanglements that can lead to serious injuries and even death. This is a worldwide problem that can be prevented by finding better solutions to dispose of trash and fishing gear. D...

Alaska Lawmakers Applaud Federal Ban of Russian Seafood Imports

EDITOR’S NOTE: This article was written just prior to the March 18 death of Rep. Don Young. Lawmakers in Alaska applauded a ban of Russian seafood imports instituted by the Biden administration in response to Russia’s invasion of neighboring country Ukraine. In a March 11 executive order, President Joe Biden prohibited “the importation into the United States of the following products of Russian Federation origin: fish, seafood and preparations thereof.” The ban is something that had been pushed for by elected officials in Alaska for years. Russia has banned imports of U.S. fish since 2014, after the U.S. sanctioned Russia following its annexation of the previously independent region Crimea. “I appreciate and strongly support the announcement by President Biden… that the United S...

California Fisheries Biologists Present 2022 Ocean Salmon Abundance Forecast

At the annual Salmon Information Meeting held virtually on March 2, state and federal fishery scientists presented updates on the numbers of spawning salmon that returned to California rivers in 2021 and shared the expected abundance for the upcoming fishing season. The 2022 ocean abundance projection for Sacramento River fall Chinook, a main salmon stock harvested in California waters, is estimated at 396,500 adult salmon, higher than the 2021 forecasts. The Klamath River fall Chinook abundance forecast also came in slightly above the 2021 value, with 200,100 of the adult salmon predicted to be in the ocean this year, a value that remains well below the stock’s historical levels. During the meeting, recreational anglers and commercial salmon trollers provided comments and voiced conc...

Alaskan Leader Seafoods Nabs Top Prizes at Symphony of Seafood, Showcases New Products at Seafood Expo

The Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation announced its full slate of winners for the 2022 Alaska Symphony of Seafood on Feb. 24, including three first-place prizes for Edmonds, Wash.-based Alaskan Leader Seafoods. Alaskan Leader Seafoods’ Wild Caught Alaskan Black Cod in Japanese Miso Marinade won both the Seattle People’s Choice and the Juneau People’s Choice. Alaskan Leader’s Wild Caught Bristol Bay Sockeye Salmon also took the inaugural Bristol Bay Choice award, as chosen by the Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association, a competition partner and major sponsor. “Alaskan Leader did an excellent job highlighting the quality of Bristol Bay Sockeye, something our fleet has worked extremely hard to improve and maintain season after season,” Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Deve...

ACI Boats Wins $3 Million Commercial Fishing Vessel Build Contract

Washington-based ACI Boats in March announced the official award of a $3 million dollar contract with American Samoa’s Department of Commerce for four “Super Alia” commercial fishing vessels. All four boats are to be manufactured at ACI Boats’ facility in Port Townsend, Wash. The vessels themselves are to be 38-foot by 14-foot semi-displacement catamarans, designed by ACI with Coastwise Marine Design. American Samoa Government (ASG) Fisheries Economic Development Coordinator Tamatoa Tony Lankilde said officials “look forward to working with (ACI Boats) in bringing this great economic development project to fruition for the ASG and people of American Samoa, but especially the fishing community and local fresh-fish industry,” “We are excited to take on this project, signaling a positiv...