Trident Seafoods and PSPA Prepare COVID-19 Protocols

Trident Seafoods is telling residents of the Prince William Sound community of Cordova, Alaska, that they are finalizing Cordova-specific protocols to address plant operations and limit employee interactions with the community and fishermen because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The situation is rapidly changing and as it evolves, we will maintain open lines of communication with the community” said Rick Isaacson, regional manager for Trident Seafoods. “For us, it will only be a successful season if we are able to maintain and protect the health and safety of our community.”

Isaacson said that Trident is proactively monitoring key reports, updates and notifications from international, federal and state health officials and government authorities to ensure they quickly adapt to evolving circumstances, including best practices and testing technologies.

The city of Cordova itself is planning well in advance of the anticipated mid-May opener of the famed Copper River salmon run to keep the virus out of their community. City officials noted that statewide mandates already required all people arriving in Alaska, whether resident, worker or visitor, to self-quarantine for 14 days when reaching their destination in the state.

Having incoming crews self-quarantine on their vessels is a perfectly acceptable plan, in fact probably preferred, Cordova officials said in a lengthy document outlining their plan.

City officials also noted that companies traveling to Alaska for the fishery may put them to work immediately, provided that they have an approved community/workforce protective plan and they have enacted protective measures into the plan to safeguard the community.

Pacific Seafood Processors Association (PSPA) also sent a letter to Cordova to assure the community that their member companies have been participating in a seafood industry work group formed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The group worked with a medical risk management company that specializes in commercial maritime and remote worksites to develop guidance protocols specifically for the industry, said Chris Barrows, president of PSPA.

“PSPA will continue to closely monitor the situation, share information and support measures that protect the health and safety of Alaska communities,” Barrows said.

COVID-19 Prompts Copper River Seafoods to Find New Markets

When the novel coronavirus pandemic forced Anchorage, Alaska, area restaurants to close their doors, Copper River Seafoods (CRS) scrambled quickly into retail mode, selling frozen portioned inventory at bargain prices to people suddenly facing food insecurity. “Due to restaurants shutting their doors, the local wholesale market demand dropped almost overnight,” said Jim Kostka, marketing director for Copper River Seafoods.

With the market shifting rapidly, Kostka quickly devised a plan that would move frozen portioned inventory while helping a lot of people who had suddenly lost their jobs.

“Since CRS had inventory that was destined to the local restaurants, we cut prices to respond to the local demand and give back to our community,” he said.

His plan began to take shape when the first three restaurant owners began to lay off staff, who then applied for unemployment. “We said ‘what can we do to make a difference in the community’?” Kostka said.

“What started with literally three texts to see how we could help various colleagues that lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic went viral in Anchorage,” he said. CRS put together 15-pound boxes at $5 a pound ($75 a box) of portioned frozen individually wrapped halibut.

Word went out on a Friday evening and soon his phone was in meltdown mode through the following Tuesday. By 10 a.m. Monday they had sold 2,600 pounds of halibut portions.

Provided with each box is a copy of the “How to spot the symptoms” federal document on the COVID-19 virus.

“The response was amazing and the thank yous are still coming in,” Kostka said. “I have several customers that have a hug on hold for me for when we get through this for the positive impact we have with our offering to our community. We will continue to offer a weekly 10-pound variety box of the best seafood in the world, as well as smoked and bulk orders, as a means to get healthy protein out to feed our Alaska neighbors and loved ones at bulk/wholesale prices and to keep our commercial fishing industry viable,” he said.

The weekly offerings will be posted online at www.alaskawildseafoodmarket.com, the company’s new ecommerce site, established specifically for bulk and wholesale prices.

Meanwhile, Kostka’s new mantra is “Let us help you make your home, your new favorite restaurant featuring wild Alaskan seafood!”

Alaska’s Commercial Harvesters Listed as ‘Critical Infrastructure’

Plans are in progress to conduct the multi-million dollar Bristol Bay salmon fishery this summer in a manner that keeps harvesters, processors and the seafood itself safe in the midst of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

“Everyone is working on it on a regular basis,” said Norm Van Vactor of the Bristol Bay Economic Development Corp. in Dillingham, Alaska. “It is literally a plan in progress. We are moving forward with a positive attitude (but) nobody is in La La Land.”

Commercial fishermen are now officially identified as “critical infrastructure” by the state of Alaska. That means that fishing preparations and activities in Bristol Bay are cleared to continue, but under various safety protocols aimed at containing the spread of the pandemic coronavirus in the state, the Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association (BBRSDA) told its members this past week. Those planning to travel to Alaska through May 1 are required to self-quarantine for 14 days upon arrival at their final destination. Those traveling within Alaska, between now and May 1, do not have to submit a plan to the state at this time.

The BBRSDA is currently waiting for more direction from the state. Meanwhile the association is working with community leaders and processors to develop safety protocols pertaining to public and industry health. They are advising the drift gillnet fleet to use best practices for personal health and safety and to think about how they will personally protect themselves, their crew and the Bristol Bay communities they will pass through.

The BBRSDA said it is possible that the association will be allowed to submit a “blanket plan” on behalf of Bristol Bay fishermen. The association has been working on what that looks like and what information the state would require in such a document.

They are advising fishermen that if they cannot follow its protocols or need to incorporate other details they would need to submit their own plan, listing their crewmembers into the plan and protocols.

Meanwhile the association has advised all harvesters coming to Bristol Bay to practice social distancing, to wash hands frequently, avoid touching faces while in common areas, and cover coughs with their upper arm.

Complete guidelines are posted on the association’s website, www.bbrsda.com.

Ocean Beauty is Ready to Process in 2020

Ocean Beauty Seafoods is telling its fleet they are ready to process the wild salmon their fishermen harvest in the upcoming Alaska fisheries, with top priority being the safety of their communities, employees, fishermen, customers and fish.

“We have been in business since 1910 and have never missed a salmon season in time of war, pandemic or for any other reason,” the company said in a recent letter to its harvesters.

“The salmon business is our core business and is in our DNA. We are purchasing supplies as usual and will be processing salmon this season if it is humanly possible.”

Ocean Beauty officials noted that they are currently operating at high capacity at their Kodiak facility on bottom fish and have so far been able to address any concerns as they have arisen.

Ocean Beauty, like other processors participating in the annual wild salmon fisheries in Alaska, has engaged in some special planning this year, due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Steps taken to date include creation of a virus working group with representatives from sales, distribution, Alaska operations, quality assurance and information technology. They have formulated and implemented a travel policy to reduce exposure, implemented a post travel self-quarantine and also developed an enhanced sanitation program.

Ocean Beauty officials said they are also expanding their recruitment efforts, both domestic and international, in an effort to combat a possible increase in numbers of workers who do not wish or are unable to travel to Alaska this year.

Copies of the Centers for Disease Control guidelines for staying safe during the pandemic are being distributed to all their employees and customers. They have also communicated with customers to ensure that they understand Ocean Beauty is working to guarantee as best they can that they will provide an uninterrupted flow of product to them.

NOAA Grants Temporary Waiver on Observer Coverage

Federal fisheries officials responding to novel coronavirus concerns of longline halibut and black cod harvesters put a waiver in place through April 9 on required partial observer coverage in the Alaska fishery, after which the waiver was to be evaluated on a weekly basis.

The temporary waiver was announced on March 26 by Jim Balsiger, Alaska regional director for NOAA Fisheries, who said the emergency rule was granted consistent with the agency’s authority under certain circumstances, in this case because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association (ALFA) had urged emergency action to exempt them from carrying observers on their commercial fishing vessels because of lack of space allowing for adherence to precautionary guidelines issued to avoid spread of the virus, which has sickened, and in many cases caused the deaths of thousands of people worldwide. Federal, state and local guidelines are for everyone to keep a six-foot space between themselves and others, wash hands frequently and to wipe down frequently all commonly used surfaces.

“All we need is for one of those observers to be a virus carrying vector that infects the crew and skipper, who infect people in the processing plant and their families and the whole industry is shut down—along with a community where access to health care is extremely limited,” said Linda Behnken, executive director of ALFA.

The limited duration waiver for observer coverage in the partial category fleet was based on four factors, including limitations on available air travel in Alaska, particularly to remote communities, due to increasing concern about the COVID-19 pandemic.

NOAA also cited the absence of Alaska Marine Highway System service as an alternative travel method, limitations on intra-state travel, including local shelter-in-place restrictions, which direct self-quarantine practices for anyone traveling into remote communities, and the ongoing need to conserve limited observer capacity and coverage capability for other vessels and processing facilities participating in the full coverage category.

The emergency order dictates that through April 9 vessel owners or operators with vessels in the partial coverage category have to log each fishing trip into the Observer Declare and Deploy System and otherwise comply with applicable regulatory and other requirements.

During the waiver period, Balsiger said, NOAA Fisheries would evaluate the impact of the waiver on the conservation and management of the affected fishery resources and might make adjustments to the fishery and catch accounting system in the future.

St. Paul Island Bans All Non-Essential Travel

The city’s location in the midst of the Central Bering Sea is usually considered a disadvantage because of its remoteness, but during the pandemic, the Saint Paul City Council has taken steps to keep the raging coronavirus from infecting their Pribilof Island fishing community.

In response to federal and state emergency declarations over the COVID-19 pandemic, the city council banned all non-essential travel to the island through April 15. City Manager Phil Zavadil said the council would meet again on the matter before that date to determine if that travel ban should be extended.

“The city council adopted this resolution both in response to the state’s mandates, but also in recognition of our community’s limited ability to treat individuals who might develop serious COVID-19 related symptoms,” Zavadil said.

The island is home to some 400 mostly Unangan (Aleut) residents. The Saint Paul Island Community Health Center, which is run by the Southcentral Foundation in Anchorage, Alaska, has no resident doctors and just one ventilator. “Residents with severe medical conditions are usually medivaced by plane to Anchorage area hospitals,” Zavadil said. “We need to first of all prevent contagion on the island, hence the travel ban, and secondly be prepared to treat cases locally through quarantining and other CDC (Centers for Disease Control) recommended methods,” he said.

NOAA Fisheries Emergency Action Waives Some Observer Coverage

Federal fisheries officials responding to concerns voiced by longline halibut and black cod fishermen in Alaska have issued an emergency action providing authority, on a case by case basis, to waive observer coverage in some instances. The emergency action also waive some training and other program requirements while meeting conservation needs and providing an ongoing supply of fish to markets.

The emergency action is being taken for the stated purpose of protecting public health and to ensure the safety of fishermen, observers and others, according to NOAA Fisheries officials. The emergency action applies, however, only in three circumstances. These include:

• When the provider of observers does not have sufficient observers to staff a fleet, such as if the observers are under quarantine;

• When providers cannot physically get observers to fishing vessel departure points, perhaps because of travel restrictions or shelter in place guidance; or

• When providers don’t have enough trained observers because NOAA could not offer training due to building access restrictions or other limitations.

Alternative fishery management measures will be considered should such circumstances arise.

Concerns over putting observers on smaller vessels in the halibut and black cod fisheries arose because of lack of space allowing for adherence to precaution guidelines issued because of the novel coronavirus pandemic. The problem with NOAA’s emergency action guidelines, said veteran halibut fisherman Dan Falvey of Sitka, Alaska, is that the waiver requests must come from the observer provider.

“You generally need electronic monitoring and observers to provide complete at-sea data, but in this emergency (the pandemic) it is prudent to not employ observers on boats where they don’t have separate bunk space or eating facilities,” he said. “The small boat fleet should receive a waiver.”

Falvey also noted that one of the mandates issued this week by Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy requires quarantine when individuals first reach the state, but it doesn’t prevent the observers from traveling from community to community once they reach the state.

There are enough vessels with EM on board so that this year it would be prudent to waive observers unless the vessels chosen to carry observers can be provided with separate eating and sleeping facilities, he commented.