Tag: oregon

Oregon’s Dungeness Crab Fishery Now Open Through Aug. 14
15Jan By Fishermen's NewsNo Comments
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Oregon’s Dungeness Crab Fishery Now Open Through Aug. 14

Oregon’s multi-million dollar commercial Dungeness crab fishery is scheduled to run through Aug. 14, barring any emergency closures, after a late start prompted by pre-season testing that showed the crab were insufficient in meat yield to open before Jan. 15. Tests showed that the crab were too low in meat yield in four regions, and domoic acid was elevated in crab viscera (internal organs) in two areas of the south coast, according to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW). Domoic acid, a naturally occurring toxin found in shellfish, also known as amnesic shellfish poisoning (ASP), can cause a range of symptoms from vomiting and abdominal cramps to seizures and coma. Last year’s commercial Dungeness crab fishery paid over $90 million in ex-vessel value to harvester...
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2 Seafood Companies Fined By Oregon Environmental Quality Agency
3Jul By Fishermen's NewsNo Comments
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2 Seafood Companies Fined By Oregon Environmental Quality Agency

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) said July 1 that 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. P...
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BioBlitz Takes Snapshot in Time in Advance of Removal of Oregon’s Kellogg Dam
29May By Fishermen's NewsNo Comments
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BioBlitz Takes Snapshot in Time in Advance of Removal of Oregon’s Kellogg Dam

Plans to remove the Kellogg Dam in Milwaukie, Oregon, which has impeded passage of salmon and other fish for over 167 years, will likely not happen until about 2027, but groups partnering with NOAA Fisheries meanwhile are documenting important environmental information. In mid-May, volunteers fanned out near the mouth of Kellogg Creek for the first-ever Kellogg Creek BioBlitz, a community science survey in which scientists, naturalists and others document living species within the designated area to create a snapshot in time. Lower Kellogg Creek is targeted for major restoration work beginning in 2026 or 2027. The BioBlitz data is expected to help track how conditions change when the dam is removed and the stream restored from a stagnant, shallow impoundment to a healthy stream c...
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Annual Memorial Event to Honor Oregon Commercial Fishing Fleet
22May By Fishermen's NewsNo Comments
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Annual Memorial Event to Honor Oregon Commercial Fishing Fleet

The men and women who have contributed to the commercial fishing activities in Oregon over the past eight decades are set to be remembered at the Annual Charleston Fisherman’s Memorial “Blessing of the Fleet” on Memorial Day. The event is expected to include a speech by marine services firm owner William Elderkin, a color guard by the U.S. Coast Guard and the ringing of the 1954 Buoy Bell, which is to be rung for every name read, a nod to the fishermen and women who relied on the bell’s sound for safe navigation, according to the announcement. Names to be added to the Industry Plaque this year include Roy C. Cameron, Michael L. Workman, Amos Allen “Red” Astor, James “Jim” Nash, W.A. “Rusty” Shield and Scott Heath. The Fishermen's Memorial Plaque is expected to include J. B. Jo...
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Commercial Dungeness Crab Fishery Begins Feb. 1 North of Cape Falcon, Ore.
10Jan By Fishermen's NewsNo Comments
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Commercial Dungeness Crab Fishery Begins Feb. 1 North of Cape Falcon, Ore.

Oregon’s Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) has announced the Feb. 1 opener of a commercial Dungeness crab fishing period from Cape Falcon to Klipsan Beach, Wash. Officials said a fourth round of pre-season testing showed that male crabs in this area were not quite ready for a January opening. The additional time is expected to allow crab to continue to fill with meat before harvest, they said. Oregon’s ocean commercial Dungeness crab season, targeted to open Dec. 1, can be delayed or partially opened so consumers get a high-quality product and crabs aren’t wasted. This year’s season was partially opened (from Cape Foulweather to the California border) on Dec. 16, after a delay due to low meat yield in areas north of Cape Foulweather. Commercial crabbing began Dec. 31 from...
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Commerce Dept. Approves Oregon Fishery Disaster Declaration
18Oct By Fishermen's NewsNo Comments
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Commerce Dept. Approves Oregon Fishery Disaster Declaration

Federal authorities have approved a fishery disaster for the years 2018, 2019 and 2020 at Oregon Chinook salmon ocean commercial fisheries, a decision that makes fishermen eligible to apply for disaster assistance from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Oregon’s congressional delegation, also including five members of the U.S. House of Representatives, announced the determination on Friday, Oct. 13, saying the aid would help the state’s coastal economies recover from years of drought, changing ocean conditions, and critical habitat loss that have harmed salmon populations in the Pacific Northwest. The delegation said that the U.S. Department of Commerce has fishery disaster assistance funding available and would soon determine the allocation. “Oregon’s fishin...
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ODFW Seeks Applicants for Fish Restoration and Enhancement Board
20Sep By Fishermen's NewsNo Comments
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ODFW Seeks Applicants for Fish Restoration and Enhancement Board

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is seeking applicants to fill a commercial salmon industry position on the state Fish Restoration and Enhancement (R&E) Program Board. The ideal candidate, according to the ODFW, would be a resident of Oregon who’s able to represent the state’s commercial salmon industry. Stated desirable attributes include involvement with local fishing groups or fish management, previous experience with boards or commissions, and knowledge of, or involvement with commercially caught salmon in Oregon. “We encourage individuals that can represent seafood processors, the commercial troll fleet, or gillnet fleet to apply,” Fish and Wildlife said in a statement. The Fish Restoration and Enhancement Program was created by the Oregon Legislature in 198...
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BOEM Identifies Draft Wind Energy Areas Off Oregon Shore
20Sep By Fishermen's NewsNo Comments
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BOEM Identifies Draft Wind Energy Areas Off Oregon Shore

In news that could affect commercial fishing in Oregon, the state’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) in mid-August identified two draft Wind Energy Areas (WEAs) off the coast of Oregon and opened a 60-day public review and comment period on those WEAs. The areas were identified as part of the Biden-Harris administration’s goal of deploying 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy capacity by 2030 and 15 gigawatts of floating offshore wind by 2035. The draft WEAs cover about 219,568 acres offshore southern Oregon with their closest points ranging from about 18 to 32 miles off the coast, according to the ocean energy management bureau. “As BOEM works to identify potential areas for offshore wind development, we continue to prioritize a robust and transparent process, includi...
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Hearing on Oregon Water Quality Permit Set for Aug. 30
30Aug By Fishermen's NewsNo Comments
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Hearing on Oregon Water Quality Permit Set for Aug. 30

Oregon’s Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has scheduled a public hearing for 6 p.m. today, Aug. 30, on a proposed National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit for Da Yang Seafood, which processes seafood at its facilities at the Port of Astoria. The facility discharges processing waste into the Columbia River. The West Coast Seafood Processors Association (WCSPA) in Astoria contends that the newly issued draft permit would set precedent for the entire seafood processing industry in Oregon. A recent commentary by WCSPA executive director Lori Steele argues that the new wastewater discharge permits are overly complicated, technically infeasible and fail to consider the seafood processing industry’s unique traits and changing seasons. The commentary also all...
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New Bill Would Permanently Ban Some Mining Projects to Protect Oregon Salmon
2Aug By Fishermen's NewsNo Comments
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New Bill Would Permanently Ban Some Mining Projects to Protect Oregon Salmon

Legislation now before the U.S. House of Representatives would ensure that certain federal lands in Southwest Oregon are permanently “withdrawn” from eligibility for mining. Rep. Val Hoyle, D-Ore., who introduced the Southwestern Oregon Watershed and Salmon Protection Act (SOWSPA) on July 27, said the bill would protect high-quality salmon and steelhead strongholds, clean drinking water in the outdoor recreation and tourism economy, and a high concentration of rare plants in the area of the Rogue, Smith, Illinois and Chetco National Wild and Scenic Rivers. Rep. Jared Huffman, D-CA, a cosponsor of the bill, said it is hard to overstate the ecological, cultural and economic importance of salmon and their habitat in this watershed. “It’s hard to overstate the ecological, cultural...
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