oregon – Fishermens News

Commercial Dungeness Crab Fishery Begins Feb. 1 North of Cape Falcon, Ore.

10Jan

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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...

Commerce Dept. Approves Oregon Fishery Disaster Declaration

18Oct

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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...

ODFW Seeks Applicants for Fish Restoration and Enhancement Board

20Sep

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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...

BOEM Identifies Draft Wind Energy Areas Off Oregon Shore

20Sep

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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...

Hearing on Oregon Water Quality Permit Set for Aug. 30

30Aug

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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...

New Bill Would Permanently Ban Some Mining Projects to Protect Oregon Salmon

2Aug

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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...

Oregon Gov. Asks Commerce Dept. for Expedited Fisheries Disaster Declaration

2May

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Oregon Gov. Asks Commerce Dept. for Expedited Fisheries Disaster Declaration

Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek is asking the Department of Commerce for an expedited declaration of a federal fishery resource disaster, in the wake of a federal fisheries managers’ recommendation to close all commercial ocean fisheries for Chinook salmon from Cape Falcon to the California border. Due to recent droughts, returns of Chinook salmon to the Sacramento and Klamath rivers are expected to be very low this year. Anticipating drought-related impacts on salmon spawning, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is expected to close commercial ocean fisheries for Chinooks from Cape Falcon on the north Oregon coast to the California border through August. Biologists with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife have forecast an 82% reduction in the ex-vessel value of commercial troll...

14Dec

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Ocean Commercial Dungeness Crab Season Remains Closed in Oregon

The ocean commercial Dungeness crab season remains closed in Oregon as round two of preseason testing is showing crabs are too low in meat yield in some areas. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife said elevated domoic acid is still being detected in some crab viscera, and round three of crab meat yield and biotoxin testing is to occur in coming weeks. Those test results will help determine if the season will open Dec. 31 or is further delayed or split into areas with different opening dates. The season was targeted to begin on Dec. 1 but can be delayed so that consumers get a high-quality product and crab are not wasted, according to the ODFW. Oregon, California and Washington coordinate Dungeness crab quality testing and the commercial season opening dates. California and Washi...

12Oct

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ODFW Seeks Commercial Salmon Industry Applicants for Fish Restoration Board

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is seeking applicants from the commercial salmon industry to serve on the Fish Restoration and Enhancement (R and E) Program Board. The deadline to apply is Oct. 16. According to the ODFW, the ideal commercial fishing candidate would be an Oregon resident who can effectively represent Oregon's commercial salmon industry. Individuals that can represent seafood processors, the commercial troll fleet, or gillnet fleet are encouraged to apply. 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. The R and E Program was created by the Oregon Legislature in 1989 to help fund fish resto...

USDA Approves $52M Purchase of Pacific Northwest Seafood Products

10Aug

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USDA Approves $52M Purchase of Pacific Northwest Seafood Products

U.S. Department of Agriculture officials have approved a $52 million purchase of Pacific Northwest seafood products, a deal that Oregon Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden say will provide a boost to the state’s seafood industry after being hard hit by COVID-19 and climate chaos. The deal includes the purchase of $22 million in Pacific whiting fillets, $18 million in Pacific rockfish fillets and $12 million in Pacific pink shrimp. “Not only do our fisheries deliver incredible products all around the world, they have been the lifeblood of communities up and down Oregon’s coast for generations,” Merkley said. “This announcement ensures Oregon’s coastal fishermen and seafood producers receive critical financial assistance needed to continue operating and providing services here in O...