January 5, 2009 Disclaimer: Inclusion of a news article, report, or other document in this email does not imply MCA support or endorsement of the information or opinion expressed in the document.
The Alaska Fisheries Report with Jay Barrett Dec 31. On this first show of 2009, we glance back at the year that was, and look forward to what might be in the new year. Also, cod prices are plummeting and a fisherman in Japan builds the Prius of the Sea.
The Alaska Fisheries Report with Jay Barrett Dec 24 Coming up on this week's show: NOAA's new head is an ardent conservationist who's criticized the agency in the past for not doing enough to curb what she sees as over-fishing; The City of Kenai is setting up a task force to protect its fisheries; And you can now renew your fishing permits online.
Fishing frenzy: City of Kenai forms task force; fears Mat-Su borough (12/22)
Commercial fishing permits now renewable online (KFSK Audio) (12/23)
Controlling Alaska’s resources, the fight for fish (12/23)
King crab season ending later than normal (12/24)
Uncertainties lie ahead for fisheries (12/28)
BOF Teleconference on Dec 31. Additional comments
BOF. Summary of Actions from Dec 31 Meeting
Alaska Economic Performance Report, 2007
ADFG. Sockeye Salmon Stock Status and Escapement Goals in Southeast Alaska
ADFG Comments on SE Shellfish Proposals at Jan 21-27 BOF
Drama by Bering Sea in 2008 (12/31)
State grills Redfern on barging plan (1/5) MARKETING
NY Times Editorial. So Is Fish Safe to Eat or Not? (12/23)
Imitation crab meat is tasty, healthy alternative (12/28)
Grafton market admits selling misbranded fish (12/25)
Alaska Celebrates 50 Years of Statehood and Seafood Sustainability (1/2)
‘Deadliest Catch’ sets sail from Kodiak (1/2) MISC
Opinion. Thank you, American Seafoods (12/23)
Japan Turns to Technology to Lift Fishing Industry (12/25)
The Economist. An Icelandic Success (12/30)
FEDERAL
NOAA Determines Ribbon Seals Should Not Be Listed As Endangered (12/23). NOAA today announced that ribbon seals are not in current danger of extinction or likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future, and should not be listed under the Endangered Species Act.
On Dec. 20, 2007, the Center for Biological Diversity petitioned NOAA’s Fisheries Service to list the ribbon seal under the Endangered Species Act. The petition said the seal faced extinction by the end of the century due to rapid melting of sea ice resulting from global warming. Sea-ice in the Bering Sea, Sea of Okhotsk, Sea of Japan, Chukchi Sea, and Beaufort Sea is the seal’s primary habitat. Today’s announcement is the result of NOAA’s review of this petition and the condition of the ribbon seal.
"Our scientists have reviewed climate models that project that annual ice, which is critical for ribbon seal reproduction, molting and resting, will continue to form each winter in the Bering Sea and the Sea of Okhotsk where the majority of ribbon are located," said Jim Balsiger, NOAA's acting assistant administrator for fisheries. More
Fight for ribbon seal protection far from over (12/24). The conservation group that petitioned to list ribbon seals as threatened or endangered vowed to keep trying despite rejection by federal wildlife managers. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced Tuesday that ribbon seals were not in current danger of extinction or likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future and should not be listed.
"Our scientists have reviewed climate models that project that annual ice, which is critical for ribbon seal reproduction, molting and resting, will continue to form each winter in the Bering Sea and the Sea of Okhotsk where the majority of ribbon seals are located," said Jim Balsiger, NOAA acting assistant administrator for fisheries, in a statement.
Brendan Cummings of the Center for Biological Diversity said the denial ignores science on global warming and the law.
"We are confident it will be overturned by either the courts or the new administration," Cummings said.
The center will file a 60-day notice of its intent to sue.
"If they don't change their minds in 60 days, we'll see them in court," Cummings said. More
Southeast Guides Face One-Halibut Limit, Again (12/23). Southeast's charter fishing guides successfully fought off a one-fish daily bag limit for their clients this past summer with a lawsuit in a Washington, D.C., court. Now it's back.
The lawsuit challenged the process, not the rule's merit. So the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration fixed the procedural problem and reissued the rule.
"Sport charter fishing has grown in Southeast Alaska while halibut abundance has decreased," said Doug Mecum, NOAA's Fisheries Service acting regional administrator for Alaska. "We're proposing to reduce the charter halibut catch to protect the halibut resource."
If finalized, the proposed rule would take effect this spring.
"Don't surprise me one little bit," said Mike Bethers, a Juneau charter boat captain who is getting out of the business partly because of the restrictions.
"All these horse-crap regulations take the fun out of it," he said. "I'm ready to do more fishing for myself and do a lot less worrying about it."
Juneau Charter Boat Association spokesman Rick Bierman said he didn't know whether guides would have the money to mount another lawsuit. More
USCG. NAIS Contract Awarded. The US Coast Guard issued a press release stating that it awarded a contract valued at about $12 million for development of the core Nationwide Automatic Identification System (NAIS) data exchange capability. This will provide for the effective exchange of information between AIS-equipped vessels, aircraft, aids to navigation, and shore stations. (12/22/08).
USCG. Long Range identification and Tracking (LRIT) National Data Center. The US Coast Guard issued a press release stating that the US National Data Center for the Long Range Identification and Tracking (LRIT) system will commence operation on December 31, 2008, as mandated by the IMO. The Center will collect, disseminate, and manage all LRIT data submitted by US-flag vessels. In addition, it will collect foreign-flag LRIT information from other data centers. As an interim measure, it will serve as the International Data Exchange through December 31, 2011. (12/23/08).
Obama pick for NOAA chief praised by conservationists (APRN Audio) (12/22). Oregon State University Marine Biology professor Jane Lubchenco has been chosen to head up the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) by the incoming Obama administration. Lubchenco is being hailed by conservationists as a world-class scientist. Lubchenco has criticized NOAA in the past for not working more aggressively to stop over fishing.
Dr. Jeff Short spent 30 years with NOAA before joining the Juneau branch of the conservation organization Oceana. Dr. Short is a chemist. He says Lubchenco is a highly-qualified and appropriate candidate for helping NOAA overcome problems it’s had with carrying out its mission.
Craig Man Pleads Guilty To Poaching Sea Otters (12/28). A Craig man faces three years in prison after illegally hunting and selling sea otter hides and skulls to undercover agents.
The investigation that nabbed Christopher Rowland, 41, took two years, involved communities throughout Southeast Alaska, and isn't over yet, according to special assistant U.S. attorney John Reardon.
Rowland's plea agreement mentions four other people who were involved. No one else was named.
The investigation started with a tip and includes the illegal selling of sea otters, seals and sea lions. Search warrants were served in Craig, Ketchikan and Sitka. Agents interviewed people there and in Edna Bay, Hoonah and Seattle.
Rowland pleaded guilty on Monday in federal court in Anchorage to four counts of illegally hunting, transporting and selling sea otters, court documents show.
Rowland agreed to a recommendation of 37 months in prison, three years of supervised release and a $5,000 fine. Sentencing is set for March 9. More
Scientific American (Dec 2008). Stock-Market Strategy Halts Fishing Collapse. Perhaps the best way to fight the decades-long decline of fish populations, primarily from overfishing, is to give the fishing industry clearer incentives to preserve them. That conclusion leapt from a recent analysis of the effect of “catch share” incentives by resource economist Christopher Costello and others at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
The researchers analyzed more than 11,000 fisheries over 50 years and found that those being managed using catch shares were about half as likely to collapse as those without catch shares. And when fisheries switched to catch shares, fish populations stopped declining and, according to some analyses, may have reversed course. “I’ll be honest,” Costello says, “I was really surprised” by the size of the effect.
The system of catch shares works somewhat like a stock market: individual fishers can net a designated percentage of the total amount of a species set aside for fishing annually. The cap on each fish type is adjusted yearly by the government according to how the species is faring. If the population increases, the shares increase in value, too. And fishers can buy and sell shares to one another. Catch shares give fishers a financial motive to treat the ocean with care, because they are literally invested in the future of their quarry. Costello compares the difference between catch shares and traditional fishing licenses (which expire yearly) to the difference between renting and buying a house. “When you own a house, you have a strong incentive to invest in it,” he points out. “The fishermen have an incentive to grow the fish stock” by fishing responsibly.
Boris Worm, a marine biologist at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, who two years ago predicted the collapse of seafood as a food source by 2048, says Costello’s work is noteworthy but adds that catch shares will work better when combined with other tools, such as banning fishing in sensitive areas. More
AFSC Ocean Acidification Research Plan Published. The North Pacific Ocean is a sentinel region for signs of ocean acidification. Approximately 30%-50% of global anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are absorbed by the world's oceans. Dissolving CO2 increases the hydrogen ion (H+) concentration in the ocean, and thus reduces ocean pH. Corrosive waters reach shallower depths more so in the North Pacific than in other ocean basins, especially in Alaska, and so biological impacts will likely occur earlier than in many other places. Ocean acidification reduces the calcium carbonate (CaCO3) saturation point, which stresses calcifying organisms by making calcification more difficult. More
AFSC. PRIEST (Pacific Right Whale Evaluation Study) July–August, 2008.
After an aerial survey plane crash in New Jersey in May 2008 took the life of observer Stephen Claussen, the PRIEST (Pacific RIght whale Evaluation STudy) aerial survey project was faced with a difficult task. Not only were we grieving for a beloved friend, but we were also faced with pulling together a survey on short notice, since Stephen was the lead observer for this project. With heavy hearts, we persevered through the difficult times and completed a successful aerial survey.
Through an interagency agreement between NMFS and the Minerals Management Service (MMS), NMML's Cetacean Assessment and Ecology Program (CAEP) is conducting a multiyear study on the distribution, abundance, and habitat use of North Pacific right whales in the North Aleutian Basin and southeastern Bering Sea using aerial and vessel surveys. The aerial surveys for this project included two components: 1) detection of right whales for the vessel survey and 2) aerial support during satellite-tagging operations. More
AFSC. Steller Sea Lion Research, Summer 2008. The National Marine Mammal Laboratory's (NMML) Alaska Ecosystems Program (AEP) conducted fieldwork in July–September 2008 in support of the following Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus) research projects (see Fig. 1 for geographic extent of field work in summer 2008): 1) Abundance Trend Monitoring of Steller Sea Lions in Alaska, 2) Steller Sea Lion Vital Rates, 3) Steller Sea Lion Stock Structure Investigations, 4) Steller Sea Lion Foraging Ecology and Health Studies, and 5) Food Habits of Steller Sea Lions and Northern Fur Seals. More
AFSC. Untrawlable Grounds Research in the Eastern Aleutian Islands. Biennial bottom trawl surveys conducted in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) and Aleutian Islands (AI) by the RACE Division are a primary method of monitoring the status and trends of commercial groundfish abundance. These stock assessment surveys follow a stratified random sampling design. However, trawling is not possible in areas that are too rough, hard, or steep. Thus, a bias persists when using bottom trawl surveys to estimate groundfish biomass when the unknown (but presumed large) amount of the continental shelf is not accounted for with our standard survey bottom trawl gear.
In July 2008 we completed our second cruise using acoustics and video groundtruthing to develop methods for classifying trawlable and untrawlable grounds in the GOA and AI trawl survey areas. All operations were conducted aboard the NOAA ship Miller Freeman. Seabed acoustic backscattering was collected continuously along a series of transects with a Simrad ER60 scientific echosounding system incorporating four centerboard-mounted transducers (18, 38, 120, and 200 kHz). A towed camera and winch system with artificial lighting (Fig. 4) was used for video validation of acoustic data. More
AFSC. Assessing Probability of Discard Mortality in Alaska Crab Species. Delayed mortality associated with discards of both crabs and fishes from fishing operations has ordinarily been observed through tag and recovery studies or prolonged holding in deck tanks, and there is need for a more efficient and rapid method for assessing probability of mortality.
Over the last two summer seasons RACE biologists from Newport, Seattle, and Kodiak (i.e., Allan Stoner and Michael Davis, Craig Rose and Carwyn Hammond, and Eric Munk) have been partners in an effort to evaluate bycatch mortality in snow crab, Tanner crab, and red king crab. During the first year (2007) shipboard experiments conducted in the Bering Sea were aimed at determining whether reflex behaviors in Alaska crabs (primarily Chionoecetes spp.) can be used to predict mortality caused by encounters with trawl gear in the Bering Sea groundfish fishery. More
The Economist. A special report on the sea. Plenty more fish in the sea? (12/30). No longer: technology has made the elusive and inexhaustible into easy prey Gaze upon the rolling deep
(Fish is plentiful and cheap)
As the sea my love is deep!
Said the Yonghy-Bonghy-Bó. Edward Lear
THE sea is still deep, and fish may still be relatively cheap, but it costs much more than it used to. And it is far from plentiful.
This has become a commonplace. People have long been told that the North Sea is fished out and that the waters of the North Atlantic closest to Europe now produce only a fraction of the bounty of the 1940s. Books, articles and reports regularly record the decline. In 2004, for instance, a British royal commission described in bleak detail the collapse of north-east Atlantic cod, of North Sea hake and plaice, and of other species discarded as “bycatch” and thrown back dead into the sea in huge numbers.
Americans have heard similar stories. An authoritative report from the Pew Oceans Commission told them in 2003 that, of the American fish populations that had been assessed, 30% were being overfished, many of them unsustainably. Books like “Cod”, by Mark Kurlansky, have eloquently described how the fishing grounds that stretch from the shallow waters off Newfoundland south to Georges Bank, once considered the richest in the world, have come to be commercially moribund. Governments, though slow to respond, have not been wholly blind to the changes. Canada’s closed the Grand Banks in 1992. Fishermen themselves have seen the evidence, and not just there. In the 1970s, for instance, West Coast trawlers were landing 11,000 tonnes of bocaccio a year. In 2001, just before the fishery was closed, the catch was 214 tonnes. It will take at least 90 years, say scientists, for the stocks to recover. More
2009 season opens for harvest of tons of groundfish (1/4). In the icy, stormy waters of the Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands and Gulf of Alaska, massive factory trawlers and other vessels are on the hunt again for millions of pounds of pollock, Pacific cod and more than a dozen other groundfish species.
For nearly three decades now, the dawn of the new year has meant the start of these massive Alaska fisheries, which catch an enormous amount of fish, predominantly pollock and Pacific cod, with relatively little manpower.
The longline fishery was to begin Jan. 1, and the trawl fishery Jan. 20, with a significant portion of the pollock and Pacific cod harvest going to domestic markets.
A healthy U.S. market is dependent on a healthy foreign market, so while domestic markets are good, the big, unanswered economic question is whether foreign markets will be able to get the credit they need for purchase of Alaska groundfish products. Otherwise, groundfish normally headed for overseas markets could get dumped in domestic markets. More
Two Chignik men safe after rescue from remote Alaskan island (1/4). KODIAK, Alaska - Two men from Chignik, Alaska are safe after abandoning their fishing boat and being rescued by the Coast Guard from a remote Alaskan island in the North Pacific Ocean today.
Rescued were vessel master Jim Brewer, and crewman Jay Kingsley, who abandoned the 42-foot fishing vessel American Way after losing engine power.
The Coast Guard Rescue Coordination Center in Juneau, Alaska, received a 406 Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon signal at 3:03 p.m. from the vessel.
The Coast Guard used the registration information from the beacon and contacted the wife of the master. Prior to the EPIRB signal and during the transit from Kodiak to Chignik, the master of the vessel contacted his wife and reported he was near Sutwik Island in the western Shelikof Strait, three or four hours from Chignik. He was not in distress at that time. More
STATE
Fishing frenzy: City of Kenai forms task force; fears Mat-Su borough (12/22). Fear of potential fisheries legislation influenced by politicians and anglers in the Matanuska-Susitna region has spurred the city of Kenai to form a salmon task force.
"This is an attempt to get information from the residents of the city of Kenai and business owners that make a living or enjoy a quality of life because of the Kenai River," said Joe Moore, city councilman.
The council voted unanimously to create the eight-member task force composed of members from different interest groups including the commercial fisheries, the sport fish guide industry, personal-use anglers, local politicians, environmental groups and a retired fish and game biologist.
Moore said he's still looking for members to join the task force.
"I think anybody who feels the river is an important resource should be involved," he said.
The river has long been a critical resource to the city.
"The Kenai River is extremely important to the city," Moore said. "It's the reason the city is here; oil and gas only came later."
In the past 30 years however, the role of salmon, both in the economy and life of the city, has shifted.
Moore pointed out that 10 years ago, three of the top 10 taxpayers in the city were seafood processors. Now they've disappeared from that list.
The task force isn't necessarily about trying to revive an old industry, though.
"We shouldn't strive to get them back on top," Moore said of the commercial salmon fishing industry. "They're declining and we need to recognize that." More
Commercial fishing permits now renewable online (KFSK Audio) (12/23). Alaska’s commercial fishing permit holders can now renew their permits and vessel licenses over the Internet. The states limited entry commission staff started the new online system in late November.
Controlling Alaska’s resources, the fight for fish (12/23). ANCHORAGE, Alaska-- Alaska is sometimes referred to as "America's warehouse" or "America's pantry"-- as it was described as a place brimming with raw material waiting for harvest.
Since the days of William H. Seward, Alaska has provided the country with furs and pelts from the sea, timber from its forests, as well as minerals and oil from its ground.
But since statehood, it has often been a struggle for Alaskans to gain access to control and develop its own resources.
Perhaps no natural resource holds a greater bond with Alaskans than that of salmon.
The salmon is a symbol of subsistence and rugged individualism.
This renewable resource has been a source of economy for a territory and new state, but also a source of dispute between countries.
But most importantly, for more than 10,000 years, salmon has been a source of food for Alaksans both rural and urban.
But just like Alaska's other natural resources, gaining legal access to salmon has be a source of struggle over the past 50 years. More
King crab season ending later than normal (12/24). UNALASKA, AK (2008-12-24) The Bristol Bay Red King Crab season is closing up later than usual this year. Fish & Game area management biologist Forrest Bowers said most boats usually finish up by November 15. This year, at least a quarter were still fishing through the beginning of December to catch the 20 million pound TAC. Now, only one of the 78 boats is still on the water trying for the last 75,000 pounds of TAC. Bowers said the catch rate dropped from 28 legal crab per pot last year to 22 this year.
"A little bit of a concern there but relative to the history of the fishery 22 legal crab per pot is still very good fishing it's just not quite as good as in 2006 and 2007," he said.
The average weight of the crab increased from about 6.5 pounds to 6.7. Bowers said the decrease in abundance but increase in weight kept the TAC stable at about 20 million pounds, which is unusual.
"What's more common would be quite a bit of volatility 10, 15, 20 percent change," he said. "Those changes are based on changes in abundance. Crab recruitment is highly variable due to things like predation and other environmental shifts." This year's prices are better than last year's as well. The increase of about 81 cents per pound, from 4.19 to 5 dollars, means an increased fishery value from 85 million dollars last year up to 100 million this year.
Prices for Aleutian golden king crabs are also up. Fishermen are getting between $3 and $3.70 per pound. The eastern portion of the fishery is about 96 percent complete while about half of the TAC is still available in the West. That fishery remains open until mid-May. Link
Uncertainties lie ahead for fisheries (12/28). Shifting economic and political winds have the Alaska seafood industry sailing through uncharted waters toward 2009, hoping that markets improve, credit restrictions ease up, but uncertain how the Obama administration will act concerning fisheries issues.
“There is little room for error in today's economy,” said Robin Samuelsen, a veteran Bristol Bay salmon fisherman and executive director of the Bristol Bay Economic Development Corp. in Dillingham. “Hopefully these (federal) economic stimulus packages will turn things around,” he said. “And hopefully the price of fuel will stay down to $40 a barrel.”
Samuelsen said he also hopes the Obama administration will take a serious look at reinstating the moratorium on exploration and drilling for oil in Bristol Bay. “There is no more productive ecosystem in the world than the Bristol Bay basin; we've got everything here and tons of marine mammals,” said Samuelsen, who said the nation needs, to the greatest extent possible, to wean itself off of fossil fuel.
“The bottom line is that there is a lot of uncertainty about what the effects of the economic crisis may be,” said Gunnar Knapp, an economics professor with the Institute of Social and Economic Research at the University of Alaska Anchorage. “It may affect the Alaska seafood industry in a variety of ways, and the effects could vary for different species and regions, depending in particular on their markets.” More
Drama by Bering Sea in 2008 (12/31). The past year has been marked by stories as dramatic as the Aleutian landscape. Scientists plumbed the vast depths of the Bering Sea to reveal new species that expand our understanding of the ocean, volcanoes rumbled and erupted — reminding us of this community’s fragile perch on the Ring of Fire.
While new species were discovered, one known was extinguished on Rat Island, placing an unexpected spotlight on a remote and unpopulated island.
Some stories were tragedies. The fishing fleet that sustains Unalaska suffered terrible losses in 2008, the sinking of the Alaska Ranger and the Katmai resulted in the deaths of 12 fishermen, and questions remain over what went wrong for these vessels and their crews.
Other stories were happier, such as the gift that a 101-year-old woman made to Aleutian communities — an extremely rare Attu basket her father had given her almost 60 years before.
Here’s a look back at some of the significant stories of 2008 from the Dutch Harbor Fisherman. More
State grills Redfern on barging plan (1/5). Taku River users expressed relief this week at the state's detailed questioning of mine operator Redfern Resources Ltd. about its proposed year-round Taku River barging.
Wednesday evening, the state Division of Coastal and Ocean Management sent out a nine-page list of questions from three agencies.
"I feel a lot better after reading this," said Ron Maas, who owns 160 acres on the Taku, used to run the Taku Lodge, and doubts Redfern's plan. "This really encourages me that they are doing a thorough job, and I'm tickled."
Redfern, owned by Vancouver-based Redcorp Ventures Ltd., wants to haul an air-cushion barge, or hoverbarge, on the Taku year-round to get supplies and ore in and out of the mine site. The tow vehicles will be shallow-draft tugs in the summer, and in the winter, a combination of amphibious vehicles that cross ice and open leads. The system will halt during freeze-up and spring thaw.
The Tulsequah Chief mine is in British Columbia, 40 miles northeast of Juneau on the Tulsequah River, which runs into the Taku.
Redfern needs permits from the state departments of Fish and Game and Natural Resources to ensure its system doesn't harm the Taku. The project also must be consistent with coastal policies. Those require, for instance, that the state give priority to "competing uses" of coastal areas that are economically or physically dependent on the water. More
MARKETING
NY Times Editorial. So Is Fish Safe to Eat or Not? (12/23). The federal government has been trying to persuade pregnant and breast-feeding women to limit their intake of fish because of mercury contamination. Now some federal scientists are arguing that these women should actually increase their fish consumption. The behind-the-scenes disagreement is fierce and raises serious questions for consumers.
The current official advice from the Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency is that pregnant and nursing women and young children can safely eat up to 12 ounces — roughly two servings — of most fish a week, but should limit their intake of albacore tuna to 6 ounces a week and avoid entirely four species of fish containing high levels of mercury.
Now the two agencies are at loggerheads over the two-serving limit. The F.D.A. has circulated a draft report suggesting that the vast majority of fetuses and infants would actually benefit if their mothers ate more than two servings of fish a week because fish contain highly beneficial nutrients that aid in brain development. The F.D.A.’s scientists argue that those benefits outweigh any potential harm.
Those contentions are sharply disputed by specialists at the E.P.A. who charged that the report had “serious scientific flaws,” relied on questionable models and should not be used as a basis for decision-making. That is a strong indictment that must be answered before the public can place any confidence in the F.D.A.’s judgment. More
Imitation crab meat is tasty, healthy alternative (12/28). As a manufacturer of CPG Alaska seafood in Bellingham, Wash., our company has a kept a close eye on consumer trends and needs during this challenging economy. I read with great interest your "stretch your budget" segment and have some additional information.
It's true that many seafood items prices have risen due to reduced availability and increased global demand, making it difficult for the average consumer to reap the benefits of seafood while managing a tight food budget.
One of our product lines, Crab Classic-surimi seafood (previously called imitation crab), however, has flourished in this recession. The product is made from Alaska Pollock, a lean white fish caught in the Bering Sea and other waters of Alaska. Pollock is low fat and mild tasting and is a perfect base for consumers looking for affordable seafood with the same healthy benefits. But it requires no cooking; there is no waste; it costs about $3.50 for 8 oz; and it is fortified with fish oil to be an excellent source of omega 3's.
This month, our brand of Crab Classic became certified by the American Heart Association, and it will carry their heart mark starting in early 2009.
To make it more attractive to consumers, we are offering all of our retailers (Wal-Mart, Harris Teeter in the Triangle) periodic buy one and get one free promotions. And starting Jan. 1, we add a $1 off any package of our product via an online coupon through Smartsource.com. Louis J. Shaheen, V.P. Sales & Marketing, Trans-Ocean Products, Chapel Hill Link
Grafton market admits selling misbranded fish (12/25). Grafton — The owners of a Grafton fish market pleaded guilty of a federal felony this week, admitting a sort of bait-and-switch scam.
Court documents say Oliver E. and Janet A. Ready sold tens of thousands of dollars worth of fish, telling customers it was a more expensive species.
The Readys, who own Ready's Fish Market and O'Jan's Fish Stand, sold saltwater Alaskan pollock and tilapia to Illinois and Missouri customers and businesses but called the fish walleye and crappie, which are more expensive freshwater fish, the documents show.
According to their plea agreement:
In February 2005, an O'Fallon, Mo., restaurant received boxes of fish that were supposed to be walleye but were actually labeled pollock. Some of the pollack labels had been cut off the box, but others remained. More
Alaska Celebrates 50 Years of Statehood and Seafood Sustainability (1/2). JUNEAU, Alaska, Jan. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- On January 3rd Alaska will celebrate its 50th anniversary of statehood and sustainable fisheries management. Before statehood in 1959, Alaska's fishing industry was the territory's first major industry.
Half a century later, Alaska's seafood industry is still a vital economic engine for state and regional economies. Alaska fisheries haven't always been considered a model for the world. As demand for Alaska seafood increased in the first half of the 20th century, distant and loosely regulated federal management began depleting wild seafood stocks and by the 1950's Alaska salmon runs were declared a federal disaster. Highly efficient federally approved fish traps were partly to blame for the decline, and also limited jobs for local fishermen. This fueled the fishermen's desire for statehood and guided many of the principles of sustained yield, local area management, and public participation in the regulatory process to ensure sustainable returns for the future. More
‘Deadliest Catch’ sets sail from Kodiak (1/2). They aim to do Kodiak proud — and catch some crab while they’re at it.
Seven hometown Kodiak crewmen are going to be featured in an upcoming season of “The Deadliest Catch,” the popular Discovery Channel documentary series capturing life on ship in the Bering Sea during crab-catching season.
The crew, onboard Incentive, left Kodiak Thursday on the dawn of the new year bound for King Cove before arriving at St. Paul Island on the 8th or 9th to pick up the two-person “Deadliest Catch” film crew.
“This boat is the most 100 percent Kodiak-authentic on the show yet,” said Harry Lewis, 54, captain of Incentive. “I got some real characters on my crew, Kodiak boys. I think they could make Kodiak proud.”
Lewis, a crab fisherman since the mid-70s and longtime Kodiak resident, was first contacted by show producers when he was on his other property in Idaho. He then to flew to Burbank, Calif., to meet the production staff and show them video footage he took in 1990 while out in “Black Sunday,” an infamously tough Bering Sea storm that has been mentioned in past episodes of the show. More
MISC
Opinion. Thank you, American Seafoods (12/23).Many people don't know it, but American Seafoods formed the Alaskan Community Advisory Board almost 10 years ago with the goal of helping small communities with limited financial options as they struggled with meeting basic quality of life, health and safety challenges in Bush Alaska.
Thanks to the American Seafoods family for their generosity and heart by providing $500,000 to those in need here in Alaska. You know that life can be difficult in Bush Alaska, and a helping hand that takes you over the finish line to your goal is of the highest value. -- Mayor Shirley Marquardt, Unalaska Link
Japan Turns to Technology to Lift Fishing Industry (12/25). OTOSHIBE, Japan — The Shinei Maru No. 66 looks like the dozens of other fishing boats moored in this Japanese harbor. But its builders say it is the world’s first hybrid fishing trawler. By switching between oil and electric-powered propulsion, it uses up to a third less fuel than conventional boats.
“It’s like a Prius for the sea,” said Tadatoshi Ikeuchi, 62, the boat’s owner and captain.
Until very recently, commercial fishermen around the world have been laboring under the weight of high fuel prices. In Europe earlier this year, fishermen expressed their frustration by blockading ports to protest prices and taxes. In the United States, Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska, the former Republican vice presidential nominee, has called for low-interest loans to help Alaskan fishermen buy fuel-efficient engines.
Japan, meanwhile, is searching for high-tech solutions. In fact, the hybrid boat engine, which is still just a prototype, is part of a multimillion-dollar government-led effort to rescue Japan’s fishing industry from rising energy costs, which are likely to return to rise again once the global recession ends and demand comes back. More
The Economist. An Icelandic Success (12/30). We have to prove to the rest of
the world that “the fish can sing just like a bird”. Halldor Laxness
ICELAND has not quite proved that fish can sing, but it has shown they can continue to flourish, even when hunted by their main predator, man. Central to its policy are the individual transferable quotas given to each fishing boat for each species on the basis of her average catch of that fish over a three-year period. This settles the boat’s share of the total allowable catch of that fish for the entire country. The size of this total is announced each year on the basis of scientific advice from the independent Marine Research Institute.
Subject to certain conditions, quotas can be traded among boats. Bycatch must not be discarded. Instead it must be landed and recorded as part of that boat’s quota. If she has exhausted her quota, she must buy one from another boat, though 20% of a quota may be carried forward a year, and 5% of the next year’s quota can be claimed in advance. Gadgets carried on all vessels send electronic signals to make satellite monitoring possible at all times, and each boat is likely to go to sea with an inspector aboard twice a year. All catches are rigorously recorded as soon as they are landed at any of the country’s 53 ports or by Icelandic officials abroad. So the Marine Research Institute knows exactly how much each boat is catching and where. It claims that 95% of the total is well reported. More
