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.
NOAA Response to GAO on Move from Seattle to Newport (1/29)
NPFMC. Items for the Feb Meeting
STATE
New book from AFS: Pacific Salmon: Ecology and Management of Western Alaska’s Populations (Dec 09)
Fishermen may get relief from commercial trucking rules (KFSK Audio) (1/26)
Marine Advisory Program news highlights (1/29)
Alaska Fish Board shrinks Yukon River net mesh sizes (2/1)
ADFG. Copper River Forecast (1/27)
Obituary. Lloyd Cannon (1930-2010)
'Deadliest Catch' skipper suffers a stroke (1/30)
MARKETING
Target Eliminates Farmed Salmon From All Target Stores (1/26)
Seafood Processing and Distribution (Abstract) (Jan 2010)
Safeway, FishWise Team Up for Sustainable Seafood (1/26)
MISC
Waves On The Oregon Coast Keep Getting Bigger (1/25)
FEDERAL
Alaska preps for endangered species listings fight (1/27). The state government’s top lawyer Tuesday outlined plans to accelerate Alaska’s fight against “unwarranted” expansions in the application and potential application of endangered species laws here.
Attorney General Dan Sullivan said he’d also approach other states to tell them about Alaska’s plan, which includes a request for $1 million next year to hire another full-time attorney focused solely on the Endangered Species Act and for more contract help from specialized lawyers.
Sullivan, who took office last year, told the House Finance Committee he’s drafting letters to his counterparts in every state outlining the Alaska Department of Law’s playbook as it looks for a greater say in federal wildlife protection.
His comments came one week after Gov. Sean Parnell led his State of the State address by saying the federal government has intruded into areas of state legal responsibility.
Petitions have been filed by a handful of groups, led by the Center for Biological Diversity, in recent years looking to list species, including ice seals and the Pacific walrus, found in Alaska under the act.
Last year, the Interior Department declared the polar bear threatened, saying science showed the loss of sea ice poses a threat to habitat. The state sued to overturn the listing.
Sullivan generally said new listings require companies here to consult heavily with the federal government before investing in areas impacted by a designation. More
Fishermen wait for halibut harvest numbers (1/28). Alaska fishermen are gathered in Seattle this week with others from the Northwest region and Canada for the annual meeting of the international commission that manages halibut.
Commercial halibut fishermen in Southeast Alaska face a 26-percent cut in the amount of fish they are allowed to catch this year over last, and it's not the first year of cuts.
In five years, Southeast fishing quotas - the amount in pounds the commercial fleet can catch - has gone down by 65 percent.
Fishermen are becoming increasingly frustrated.
Robert Mosher, Juneau-area operator of the vessel Patience, paid thousands of dollars for the right to harvest halibut in the catch-share system.
"There is absolutely no indication of the needs for these cuts in my catch rate or in the catch rates of any other fishermen I've spoken to!" Mosher wrote in hand-written comments to the commission.
Fishermen are told to "believe in the science," Mosher wrote, but the commercial catch share in Southeast has decreased from about 10 million pounds to less than 4 million under this year's recommendation.
The recommendation comes from the International Pacific Halibut Commission staff, which uses fish surveys and other science to generate an estimated amount of halibut in waters, and then figures how much should be harvested. More
Halibut Commission approves smaller cut to SE limits (KFSK Audio) (1/29). Southeast Alaska commercial halibut fishermen will not see as big a cut to their catch limits as originally proposed. The International Pacific Halibut Commission on Friday voted to go with somewhat higher numbers than its staff had recommended for this year.
Halibut catch limits released. Southeast commercial fishermen allotted 4.4 million pounds (1/31). Commercial fishermen in Southeast Alaska will be allowed to take 4.4 million pounds of halibut this year, the international commission that manages the fishery announced Friday.
The decision by the International Pacific Halibut Commission represents an increase of about 700,000 pounds over staff recommendations, but is still a reduction from last year's catch.
Commercial fishermen had been facing a 26 percent cut.
"Overall I would say that most guys are probably pleased they didn't get as large of a cut as they were expecting," Southeast Alaska Fishermen's Alliance Executive Director Kathy Hansen said.
That's true, but there's also concern for a sustainable fishery, Juneau fisherman Chris Knight said.
"I'm hopeful that ... catch limits continue to provide for a sustainable harvest of the halibut resource," Knight said. "We can't afford further cuts in the future; otherwise the industry will cease to exist."
The Southeast commercial fleet's allowable catch has gone down by more than half in five years, when the catch hovered around 10 million pounds.
At the same time, the amount of halibut caught by guided sport fishermen went up as the charter industry grew by leaps and bounds. More
NOAA. Draft Catch Share Policy Meetings
On December 10, 2009, NOAA released a draft policy on the use of catch share programs in fishery management plans. The draft policy is open for public comment until April 10, 2010. During this time, NOAA leadership will be participating in several regional meetings and venues to present and discuss the draft policy. Below you can find summaries and transcripts from stakeholder sessions, Council meetings or public venues as they occur (updated as available).
Roll-out of the Draft NOAA Catch Share Policy - December 10, 2009
Press conference call (hosted by Under Secretary Lubchenco) [MP3] Constituent conference call (hosted by Under Secretary Lubchenco) [MP3]
Stakeholder Sessions - January 20 and 22, 2010
Commercial Stakeholder Groups (hosted by Monica Medina) [Transcript] [MP3] Environmental Stakeholder Groups (hosted by Monica Medina) [Transcript] [MP3] Recreational Stakeholder Groups (hosted by Monica Medina) [Transcript] [MP3]
NOAA Response to GAO on Move from Seattle to Newport (1/29) The Government Accountability Office (GAO) in its role as Comptroller General has sustained the protest of the award of a lease by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to the Port of Newport to provide office, warehouse, and related space to NOAA’s Marine Operations Center-Pacific (MOC-P). The GAO determined that NOAA had no reasonable basis to determine that the awardee’s proposed pier was located outside a designated floodplain. Where awardee’s proposed pier construction was within a designated floodplain area, NOAA failed to properly consider whether there was any practicable alternative to selecting awardee’s proposal, as was required by the terms of the solicitation. B-401837 (12/2/09). NOAA issued a news release stating that, consistent with GAO’s recommendations, it will conduct an assessment of whether there was a practicable alternative to awarding the lease to the Port of Newport that does not involve development in a base floodplain and otherwise presents a feasible selection award under the solicitation of offers.
New book from AFS: Pacific Salmon: Ecology and Management of Western Alaska’s Populations (Dec 09). This timely book examines the sustainability of salmon fisheries in the Arctic-Yukon-Kuskokwim (AYK) region of Alaska. With more than fifty chapters, the book assesses the ecological processes that cause change in salmon populations; describes the effects of varying salmon runs on rural communities; reviews state, Federal, and international management of salmon fisheries in the region; and examines emerging themes at the nexus of salmon ecology and management in the AYK region.
Topics covered include marine and freshwater ecology; subsistence, commercial, and sport fisheries; and economics, governance, and cultural issues. More
Fishermen may get relief from commercial trucking rules (KFSK Audio) (1/26). Alaska may ease commercial vehicle registration rules for fishermen who move gear and small vessels short distances by road. The State Department of Transportation’s proposed rule-change comes in response to concerns from the fishing fleet.
Marine Advisory Program news highlights (1/29).
MAP looks to Alaska Legislature for funding
The Alaska Sea Grant Marine Advisory Program is requesting funding for FY11 that will represent a commitment by the University of Alaska Fairbanks to a MAP office in six communities/regions of the state that are currently funded solely by short-term grants. The communities affected are Cordova, Nome, Dillingham, Unalaska, Petersburg, and Kodiak. Learn more about this request.
MAP specialist Terry Johnson appointed to boating council
Alaska Governor Sean Parnell recently appointed Terry Johnson, marine recreation specialist with the Alaska Sea Grant Marine Advisory Program, to the Alaska Boating Safety Advisory Council. The seven-member advisory board promotes boating safety in Alaska by helping write boating regulations, making recommendations for safety educational materials and promoting boating safety education programs throughout the state. Read the governor’s news release.
MAP helps local ecotour company expand science education
The Alaska Sea Grant Marine Advisory Program has joined with Southeast Alaska eco-business Gastineau Guiding Company and the Marine Conservation Alliance to expand a unique cruise ship visitor tour called "Whales & Glaciers: Citizen Science Adventure." The tour, which began last summer in association with Holland America Line, included sampling phytoplankton to identify "red tide" outbreaks, contributing photographs to help identify whales and mammals, providing baseline data for Alaska researchers, and collecting, cataloging, and disposing of marine debris. MAP agents and specialists provide training and are developing sampling protocols and processing data. In 2009, 135 people took part in 32 tours. During the 2010 season, Gastineau Guiding Company anticipates the tours will run every day, with 30–40 people each day. Learn more.
Alaska Fish Board shrinks Yukon River net mesh sizes (2/1). FAIRBANKS - The Alaska Board of Fisheries on Sunday took what some fishermen say is a major and others say is a minor step toward rebuilding the declining Yukon River king salmon run.
In an attempt to get more older, bigger and more productive kings on the spawning grounds, the Fish Board voted to prohibit subsistence and commercial fishermen on the Yukon from using gillnets with mesh larger than 7.5 inches starting in 2011.
“Will this work? I don’t know, but we’ve got to do something,” said board member Bill Brown of Juneau, summing the feelings of several board members. “Too long this fishery has gone downhill.”
The Yukon River chinook run, which feeds the largest subsistence fishery in the state, has shrunk in recent years to the point that state fish managers have not allowed any commercial fishing the past two years and this past season halved fishing time for subsistence fishermen.
As a result, many fishermen said they did not catch enough king salmon. The federal government declared the 2008 and 2009 Yukon chinook runs economic disasters.
Alaska fish managers also have failed to deliver enough king salmon to Canada two out of the past three years, as specified by an international treaty. Studies show most of the big fish in the chinook run are bound for Canada. More
Obituary. Lloyd Cannon (1930-2010). A pioneer in the Alaskan fishing industry, Lloyd Wynell Cannon, died January 19, 2010 at Virginia Mason Hospital in Seattle of liver and lung cancer. He was born in Mudlake, Idaho on June 3, 1930 and, as a teen in the 40's, worked as a commercial fisherman with his dad in Kodiak, Alaska. Following graduation from Mount Baker High School in Bellingham, Washington and service in the Navy, he returned to Kodiak, married his wife, Patricia and raised his family. Together they built a thriving commercial fishing business. More
'Deadliest Catch' skipper suffers a stroke (1/30). One of the stars of the reality show "Deadliest Catch" suffered a stroke Friday while in port at St. Paul Island, according to Web sites associated with the show. An engineer found Cornelia Marie captain Phil Harris on the floor of his stateroom, according to the Cornelia Marie Web site. He was immediately taken to a clinic in St. Paul -- the same place he was treated for a blood clot two years ago -- and flown to Anchorage for treatment, the site says.
"Phil is at a good hospital and receiving the best care possible," wrote Morgan Howard, the son of Cornelia Marie Devlin, majority owner of the F/V Cornelia Marie.
A relief skipper was expected to fly to St. Paul Island Saturday, Howard wrote. "The boat is in the harbor now, but needs to be able to leave in case the ice shifts and moves in."
Harris, boss of one of the crab fishing vessels featured in the popular TV show, was in port where the vessel was off-loading at the time of the stroke, according the Discovery Channel Web site. Link
MARKETING
Target Eliminates Farmed Salmon From All Target Stores (1/26). MINNEAPOLIS, Jan. 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Target® today announces that it has eliminated all farmed salmon from its fresh, frozen, and smoked seafood offerings in Target stores nationwide. This announcement includes Target owned brands – Archer Farms® and Market Pantry® – and national brands. All salmon sold under Target owned brands will now be wild-caught Alaskan salmon. Additionally, sushi featuring farm-raised salmon will complete its transition to wild-caught salmon by the end of 2010. In consultation with the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Target is taking this important step to ensure that its salmon offerings are sourced in a sustainable way that helps to preserve abundance, species health and doesn't harm local habitats.
Many salmon farms impact the environment in numerous ways – pollution, chemicals, parasites and non-native farmed fish that escape from salmon farms all affect the natural habitat and the native salmon in the surrounding areas. Wild-caught salmon from Alaska is considered a "Best Choice" by the Monterey Bay Aquarium and is certified as sustainable to the standard of the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)(1). Alaskan salmon is among the most intensively managed species in the world, with excellent monitoring of both the fish populations and the fishery.
"Target strives to be a responsible steward of the environment, while also providing our guests with the highest-quality food choices," said Greg Duppler, senior vice president, merchandising, Target. "Our guests now have an array of sustainable seafood choices at great prices."
"Target's decision to source sustainable wild-caught salmon, instead of farmed, will have a real impact in the marketplace – and ultimately, on the health of our oceans," said Julie Packard, executive director of the Monterey Bay Aquarium. "Increasing the demand for seafood from ocean-friendly sources, like this Monterey Bay Aquarium 'Best Choice,' charts us on a course not only to protect our oceans, but to improve fishing and fish-farming practices around the world." More
Seafood Processing and Distribution (Jan 2010). Executive Summary. Brief Excerpt from Industry Overview Chapter:
The US seafood processing and distribution industry consists of about 650 processors with annual revenue of about $9 billion and about 2,500 distributors with annual revenue of about $12 billion. Many companies are involved in both industry segments. Major companies include Bumble Bee Foods, Red Chamber, Trident Seafoods, and the US division of Japan's Maruha Nichiro Holdings. The industry is fragmented: the 50 largest processors account for about 45 percent of segment revenue and the 50 largest distributors account for about one-third of segment revenue.
This industry includes the processing and wholesaling of both wild-caught and farm-raised seafood. Commercial fishing and aquaculture (fish farming) are covered in separate industry profiles.
COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE
Demand is driven by trends in fish consumption. The profitability of individual companies depends on operational efficiencies. Large companies often enjoy the advantages of vertical integration and have economies of scale in purchasing and marketing. Small companies can compete effectively by specializing in niche markets. The industry is capital-intensive: average annual revenue per employee is $225,000 for a typical processing facility and $500,000 for a typical seafood wholesaler.
PRODUCTS, OPERATIONS & TECHNOLOGY
Major products include frozen fish (30 percent of processing revenue); frozen shellfish (20 percent); fresh fish and shellfish (15 percent); and canned seafood (15 percent). Other products include industrial goods like fish meal and fish oil. Link
Safeway, FishWise Team Up for Sustainable Seafood (1/26). Safeway, Inc. plans to join forces with FishWise — a nonprofit organization focused on improving the sustainability and financial performance of seafood retailers, distributors, and producers — to develop and implement a more comprehensive sustainable seafood policy.
The partnership will strengthen Safeway’s earlier commitments to environmentally responsible seafood by requiring suppliers to participate in sustainability assessments and sourcing improvement plans, training staff on the company’s sustainability policy, and providing science-based information on sustainable seafood to Safeway customers.
“We hope this partnership will lead to a more sustainable product selection for our customers as well as improved transparency with our suppliers, and ultimately, healthy oceans and freshwater ecosystems for future generations,” said Jim Bluming, Safeway VP, seafood marketing.
By deploying a detailed sourcing assessment on behalf of Safeway, FishWise will prioritize suppliers and products for environmental improvement plans. These plans will be developed and implemented over the coming years, helping Safeway’s seafood procurement to become more sustainable over time. The grocer will implement a traceability system to screen out suppliers of seafood products not meeting its new sustainable seafood policy. In addition, Safeway has agreed to discontinue the sale of grouper, red snapper (Lutjanus campechanus), and monkfish until these overfished stocks recover. FishWise will also draw upon its experience working with other retailers to develop a staff-training program on the key components of seafood sustainability.
“We believe Safeway is an industry leader in establishing responsible business practices and we are eager to demonstrate how this can lead to verifiable conservation gains,” said Tobias Aguirre, executive director of Santa Cruz, Calif.-based FishWise.
The agreement between Safeway and FishWise is consistent with the Common Vision for Environmentally Sustainable Seafood, which is an ambitious but realistic guide to environmentally responsible seafood for businesses, developed by more than 15 of North America’s leading ocean conservation organizations. Link
Pleasanton, Calif.-based Safeway operates 1,730 stores in the United States and western Canada, and had annual sales of $44.1 billion in 2008.
MISC
Waves On The Oregon Coast Keep Getting Bigger (1/25). No one really knows why, but those waves that pound against the Oregon coast are getting bigger and bigger.
According to new research from Oregon State University, maximum wave heights are reaching 46 feet. That’s 13 feet taller than they were just 14 years ago. In one of those so called “100-year events”, waves are now expected to hit up to 55 feet high.
All this concerns scientists who have to rethink how this will affect the coast and the people who live along it. More
Marine Conservation Alliance
431 N Franklin St Ste 305
Juneau, AK 99801-1186
