September 2024 – Fishermens News

Massive Cyanide Spill Afflicts Yukon River Tributary

Government of the Yukon officials are now overseeing the cleanup following an equipment failure at a major Yukon Territory gold mine that dumped cyanide into a tributary of the Yukon River Alaska’s largest transboundary waterway. The spill, which dumped enough cyanide to fill more than 120 Olympic sized swimming pools, is expected to result in long term monitoring of its impact on the environment, Yukon officials said. The incident at Victoria Gold’s Eagle Mine on June 24 released almost 300,000 cubic meters (10.54 million cubic feet) of cyanide solution into a subtributary of the Stewart Watershed in the Yukon Territory and about 10 days later, high levels of cyanide, which is toxic to salmon and other fish, were detected in a nearby creek. Alaska Department of Fish and Game Commissi...

American Seafoods Launches Western Alaska Community Partnership Program

American Seafoods has announced a community partnership program to aid Western Alaska communities through annual donations to select entities to fund community projects that address food security and other pressing social needs. The program, rebranded as American Seafoods Community Partnership, involves an increase from $90,000 to $150,000 annually, with $75,000 total to be awarded every six months. Since 1997, American Seafoods has granted over $2 million to organizations and programs in Alaska. American Seafoods CEO Einar Gustafsson said the program began in 1997 out of a desire to help Alaskan communities. “Over the years, American Seafoods’ contributions have made a significant impact, and we look forward to continuing forward as we sustainably harvest wild Alaska pollock,” Gustaf...

A Deeper Dive Into Annual Oregon Landings

On page 19 of this issue, you’ll find an article about the number of annual landings by Oregon’s commercial fishing industry in 2023. I won’t go into too much detail about the story here, but data show that landings in the state increased from 2022, but below the average landings and revenue of the previous five years (2018-2022). The reason why I mention the article here is that there’s more information about the impact of the annual landings that we couldn’t include on page 19 due to space limitations. But we have space here, so I’m happy to share the information with you. Regarding the landings’ effect on employment in the state, Oregon Employment Department (OED) data show that an estimated 1,212 commercial fishers—not including tribal fishermen—worked in Oregon on an annual average ...

The Chevron Deference Ruling: What It Means for Commercial Fisheries

In a recent landmark decision, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the long-standing doctrine of “Chevron Deference,” a legal principle that had guided how courts interact with federal agency regulations for decades. This major shift in legal precedent is sending ripples across various sectors, including the commercial fishing industry. As we navigate the implications of this decision, it’s important to understand the essence of Chevron Deference, how its removal might impact fisheries and what the future may hold. What Was Chevron Deference? Chevron Deference was established by the Supreme Court in 1984 through the case of Chevron U.S.A., Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc. The doctrine held that when Congress passes a law with ambiguous terms, courts should generally defer t...

Safety Orientations

A safety orientation can help turn crewmembers from liabilities to assets in the event of an emergency. A safety orientation for every person who boards a vessel that leaves the dock is a foundational part of lowering risk in fishing. Take the case of the fishing vessel that capsized in the middle of the night, for instance. As the vessel rolled, the captain ran out on deck to find a crewmember hanging onto some heavy gear in the stern as the vessel was healing over. The captain yelled at him to grab the EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon), but the crewmember had to be told where the EPIRB was located. Soon, the whole crew was tossed into the water. Fortunately, the life raft inflated automatically. The crewmember was able to get to the EPIRB but he unknowingly turned...

Trawler Tech: From Ships to Chips

Commercial trawling is not just about netting types and door control anymore. At its core, 21st Century commercial trawling is a highly technical enterprise where ship design, complex rigging and deck hardware, and increasingly high-tech software are routine factors. New spaceship-looking trawlers bearing Star Trek-level sensing capabilities are reality. Video monitoring systems and even 3D sonar imaging are demystifying the deep. Herein are a few notable trawler technology developments to put on your radars. Kongsberg Maritime Flexes with Arctic Fjord For Kongsberg Maritime, trawler technology means the whole package. The Norway-based company has designed dozens of vessels for American owners over the years, but the 324-foot trawler Arctic Fjord that launched last year is the first...

Size, Style, Regulations Driving West Coast Crab Gear Demand

Here are two trends that aren’t so new in crabbing and crab equipment, but they are worth noting: more catch per pot, and bigger equipment, are the preferred options; West Coast operators are just about as busy dealing with regulations as they are fishing. Crabbing is an important part of the growing seafood market. The global seafood market is expected to see a compound annual growth rate of 1.36%—from $720.76 billion in 2023 to $771.17 billion in 2029, largely due to the rising public awareness about the vital role of fish as a food group in healthy diets, according to a report from Mordor Intelligence. West Coast fishermen are a big part of those figures, and while operators in key crabbing states like Alaska, Washington and Oregon must put significant money and resources into adher...

Notable Fishing Vessel Projects at West Coast Boatyards

West Coast boatyards have been busy with repowers, remodels, and maintenance work recently, including projects on commercial fishing boats. Fishermen’s News reached out to several shipyards to see what their latest projects covered. Commodore’s Boats Vancouver-based based boat repair service Commodore’s Boats has had several notable projects recently on commercial fishing vessels. The f/v Golovin Bay came into the shipyard at 38 feet in length and Commodore’s cut off the stern and expanded it to a total of 50 feet in length, Commodore’s Boats Development Manager Jake Spiller told Fishermen’s News. For the width, they widened it by four feet on each side. The vessel also more than doubled its horsepower, going from 2x 300 horsepower Cummins engines to 2x 650 horsepower Scania Marine ...

Coast Guard Cutter Kimball Returns from Fishery Regulations Enforcement Deployment

The Coast Guard cutter Kimball returned to its homeport of Base Honolulu on Aug. 1 after completing a 122-day patrol in the Northern Pacific, Bering Sea and American Arctic. The Kimball patrolled in support of Operation Alaskan Groundfish Enforcer, Alaskan Sentinel and Bering Shield, promoting maritime governance by enforcing domestic fishery regulations while countering illicit maritime activity from foreign fleets along the maritime boundary line. While deployed, the Kimball's crew detected four Chinese surface combatants operating in vicinity of the Amchitka and Amukta Passage within the U.S. exclusive economic zone in early July. “Under Operation Frontier Sentinel, Kimball monitored the Chinese vessels, meeting presence with presence to ensure there were no disruptions to U.S. int...

Newsmakers

Ferdinand Named Deputy Director at AFSC Jennifer Ferdinand has been appointed deputy director of the Alaska Fisheries Science Center, AFSC science and research director Robert Foy announced Aug. 6. Ferdinand, a former commercial fisheries observer, joined NOAA in 1998. In his announcement, Foy praised Ferdinand’s leadership skills, saying she is highly regarded by colleagues, staff, constituents and partners for her ability to bring together disparate groups to build consensus. Ferdinand spent a decade with AFSC’s Fisheries Monitoring and Analysis Division as a debriefer, observer trainer and program manager. In 2008, she became the center planning officer, coordinating the development and implementation of the center’s strategic planning process. In 2018, she became director of the ...