Legislation introduced in the U.S. House on Tuesday, May 11, aims to end illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, expand transparency and stop seafood fraud, while also strengthening U.S. leadership on issues threatening oceans, consumers and human rights.
The Illegal Fishing and Forced Labor Prevention Act, introduced by Rep. Jared Huffman, D-CA, and Rep. Garret Graves, R-LA, makes specific reference to the need to halt mislabeling of seafood products, including complying with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, Lacey Act amendments of 1981 and other federal laws, plus an end to oppressive child labor, other forced labor and human trafficking.
Up to one-third of the annal global seafood catch -- as much as 56 billion pounds – is estimated to be the product of IUU fishing. The U.S. is the largest importer of seafood in the world.
According to a report by the U.S. International Trade Commission, the United States imported $2.4 billion worth of seafood products derived from IUU fishing in 2019. That includes fishing in closed areas or with prohibited gear or for unmanaged species in unmanaged areas. The report estimated that if IUU imports were prevented, that U.S. harvesters could boost their income by an estimated $60.8 million.
The legislation calls for increased efforts to trace specifically where seafood entering U.S. markets is coming from, to assure that the seafood was not caught illegally and that the harvest was reported, whether the seafood was harvested wild or farm raised, the date and weight of the catch and the name and flag state of the vessel on which it was harvested.
Similar requirements for farm-raised seafood would necessitate labeling to include the method of cultivation, source and type of feed and evidence of authorization.
The legislation also states that no importer, processor, distributor or retailer may be found in violation of requirements in the bill for unknowingly selling a product that was already mislabeled when received provided that the importer, processor, distributor or retailer can provide the required product traceability documentation.
The proposed legislation can be seen online at https://huffman.house.gov/imo/media/doc/SEAFOODLABOR_01_xml_final%20v2.pdf.
Wednesday, May 12, 2021
Wednesday, May 5, 2021
Alaska Seafood COVID-19 Impact Report Says Challenges Lie Ahead in 2021
A report on the impact of the global novel coronavirus pandemic forecasts more COVID challenges ahead for the seafood industry in 2021, ranging from trade disputes and climate change to increased competition, fish size and plant-based foods.
The report prepared for the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute by McKinley Research Group (formerly the McDowell Group) also predicts increased demand for seafood from new consumers and bigger freezers, growth in direct-to-consumer sales and a strong Alaska brand that is increasingly relevant.
Impacts to date have included increased operating expenses that have cost seafood processors about $70 million; increased transportation and logistics challenges due to reduced air travel; and delays getting into China, resulting in demurrage fees for failure to unload in a timely manner. Processors surveyed said they expected those costs which are above and beyond those normally incurred due to the pandemic would reach $100 million, mostly travel and quarantine related.
The report also noted that ex-vessel values in 2020 were 20-25% lower, with biological issues in key fisheries, but that the fisheries did continue to operate.
Some 29,000 fishermen were employed for 2020 harvests, with crew license numbers down 21% from 2019 and the total of 26,000 processing workers down 31% from a year earlier.
2020 harvests of 2.6 million metric tons of seafood worth $2 billion were down 20-25% from 2019 to an estimated $1.5 billion. Wholesale production of 1.26 million metric tons of seafood worth $4.7 billion was down 16 % in export value and volume from 2019.
Some 75% of all Alaska seafood produced was exported in 2020 to 84 countries, the report states.
Bristol Bay proved a bright spot for volume is salmon harvests, with disaster declarations proposed for eight Alaska salmon fisheries in 2020. With inventory low, the forecast was for strong markets going into 2021.
The report prepared for the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute by McKinley Research Group (formerly the McDowell Group) also predicts increased demand for seafood from new consumers and bigger freezers, growth in direct-to-consumer sales and a strong Alaska brand that is increasingly relevant.
Impacts to date have included increased operating expenses that have cost seafood processors about $70 million; increased transportation and logistics challenges due to reduced air travel; and delays getting into China, resulting in demurrage fees for failure to unload in a timely manner. Processors surveyed said they expected those costs which are above and beyond those normally incurred due to the pandemic would reach $100 million, mostly travel and quarantine related.
The report also noted that ex-vessel values in 2020 were 20-25% lower, with biological issues in key fisheries, but that the fisheries did continue to operate.
Some 29,000 fishermen were employed for 2020 harvests, with crew license numbers down 21% from 2019 and the total of 26,000 processing workers down 31% from a year earlier.
2020 harvests of 2.6 million metric tons of seafood worth $2 billion were down 20-25% from 2019 to an estimated $1.5 billion. Wholesale production of 1.26 million metric tons of seafood worth $4.7 billion was down 16 % in export value and volume from 2019.
Some 75% of all Alaska seafood produced was exported in 2020 to 84 countries, the report states.
Bristol Bay proved a bright spot for volume is salmon harvests, with disaster declarations proposed for eight Alaska salmon fisheries in 2020. With inventory low, the forecast was for strong markets going into 2021.
California Restricts Dungeness Crab Fishing
to Protect Whales
California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) officials have put restrictions on commercial Dungeness crab fishing to protect humpback whales returning from their winter breeding grounds to northern California fishing areas.
Beginning at noon on May 10, from the Oregon state line to the Sonoma/Mendocino county line, commercial Dungeness crab fishing will only be allowed in ocean waters 30 fathoms and shallower. CDFW also is requiring that all vessels carry onboard an electronic monitoring system capable of recording the vessel’s location while engaged in fishing using GPS coordinates at a frequency of no less than once per minute during fishing operations.
That electronic monitoring data must be made available upon request to CDFW for the duration of the fishing period and 60 days thereafter. The restrictions are to remain in place until lifted by CDFW or until the season closes.
CDFW also will be maintaining a statewide fleet advisory for the commercial Dungeness crab fishery for all fishing zones. The fleet is reminded to implement fishing best practices and to immediately remove all gear rom the water when they have stopped fishing.
Vessels working in Zones 1-4 are advised to pay particular attention to locations of set gear and foraging whales and to minimize entanglement risk by adhering to the Best Practices Guide.
Skippers are advised to move or avoid setting gear in areas where whales are transiting or foraging, particularly in areas around Reading Rock north of Trinidad.
Beginning at noon on May 10, from the Oregon state line to the Sonoma/Mendocino county line, commercial Dungeness crab fishing will only be allowed in ocean waters 30 fathoms and shallower. CDFW also is requiring that all vessels carry onboard an electronic monitoring system capable of recording the vessel’s location while engaged in fishing using GPS coordinates at a frequency of no less than once per minute during fishing operations.
That electronic monitoring data must be made available upon request to CDFW for the duration of the fishing period and 60 days thereafter. The restrictions are to remain in place until lifted by CDFW or until the season closes.
CDFW also will be maintaining a statewide fleet advisory for the commercial Dungeness crab fishery for all fishing zones. The fleet is reminded to implement fishing best practices and to immediately remove all gear rom the water when they have stopped fishing.
Vessels working in Zones 1-4 are advised to pay particular attention to locations of set gear and foraging whales and to minimize entanglement risk by adhering to the Best Practices Guide.
Skippers are advised to move or avoid setting gear in areas where whales are transiting or foraging, particularly in areas around Reading Rock north of Trinidad.
Research on Diminishing Size of Pacific Salmon
Points to Heat
Ongoing research into why so many Pacific salmon are returning in smaller size is focused on an assortment of variables brought on by climate change, with rising temperatures being a big concern.
“The problem appears to be that the hot years are becoming more common,” says Bill Templin, chief fisheries scientist for salmon with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game in Anchorage. “If temperatures rise, they need more food. Their metabolism goes up and down with the temperatures.”
“On average, all five species of Pacific salmon appear to be getting smaller,” he added. Whether they are returning younger or simply smaller for other reasons is still an unknown.
One concern is that as the salmon decrease in size, they become more vulnerable to predation.
There are many variables to consider. Sockeye, coho and Chinook salmon stay mostly in fresh water, even up to three years before going to the ocean. Changes in size by age might be related to what happens in the fresh water, as it impacts food availability, water temperatures and the duration of winter, he said.
While researchers are seeing salmon move north in the ocean, they still want to come home to their natal streams to spawn. When and if temperatures stop rising, Pacific salmon could return to their former size, depending in part on how long it took to stop those temperatures from rising.
“If things were to turn around right now, we could (maybe) go back to larger fish, but that would just be a guess,” Templin said.
“The problem appears to be that the hot years are becoming more common,” says Bill Templin, chief fisheries scientist for salmon with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game in Anchorage. “If temperatures rise, they need more food. Their metabolism goes up and down with the temperatures.”
“On average, all five species of Pacific salmon appear to be getting smaller,” he added. Whether they are returning younger or simply smaller for other reasons is still an unknown.
One concern is that as the salmon decrease in size, they become more vulnerable to predation.
There are many variables to consider. Sockeye, coho and Chinook salmon stay mostly in fresh water, even up to three years before going to the ocean. Changes in size by age might be related to what happens in the fresh water, as it impacts food availability, water temperatures and the duration of winter, he said.
While researchers are seeing salmon move north in the ocean, they still want to come home to their natal streams to spawn. When and if temperatures stop rising, Pacific salmon could return to their former size, depending in part on how long it took to stop those temperatures from rising.
“If things were to turn around right now, we could (maybe) go back to larger fish, but that would just be a guess,” Templin said.
Elliott Bay Design Group Announces Changes in Executive Leadership
Seattle-based naval architecture and marine engineering firm Elliott Bay Design Group has announced, in the wake of the appointment of Robert Ekse to president, two more changes in executive leadership.
John Reeves has been promoted to Principal in Charge, to oversee technical projects and provide direction and engineering support to ensure project success. Reeves will also maintain his current duties as director of business development to increase EBDG’s maritime industry leadership position.
Michael Complita has been promoted to vice president of strategic expansion, to lead expansion of EBDG’s service offerings within and outside of the marine industry.
His initial focus will be to create an avenue to effectively plan, research, explore, develop and execute business opportunities that will expand the company’s reach and that of its family of companies. He will also continue in his role as a Principal in Charge of the firm and involved in oversight of engineering projects, recruiting and cross-training opportunities for staff.
Eke said these leadership team changes will foster further growth and new opportunities for the company.
Elliott Bay Design Group is a full-service, employee-owned firm that supports owner-operators and shipyards, with a team of naval architects, engineers, designers and analysts who offer expertise in designing, supporting and analyzing the feasibility of marine transportation.
John Reeves has been promoted to Principal in Charge, to oversee technical projects and provide direction and engineering support to ensure project success. Reeves will also maintain his current duties as director of business development to increase EBDG’s maritime industry leadership position.
Michael Complita has been promoted to vice president of strategic expansion, to lead expansion of EBDG’s service offerings within and outside of the marine industry.
His initial focus will be to create an avenue to effectively plan, research, explore, develop and execute business opportunities that will expand the company’s reach and that of its family of companies. He will also continue in his role as a Principal in Charge of the firm and involved in oversight of engineering projects, recruiting and cross-training opportunities for staff.
Eke said these leadership team changes will foster further growth and new opportunities for the company.
Elliott Bay Design Group is a full-service, employee-owned firm that supports owner-operators and shipyards, with a team of naval architects, engineers, designers and analysts who offer expertise in designing, supporting and analyzing the feasibility of marine transportation.
Crabbers Applaud Success of Test Logbooks During Snow Crab Fishery
Alaska Bering Sea Crabbers (ABSC) are hailing as a success a test of electronic logbooks during the opillio (snow) season.
The effort involved those aboard four vessels who volunteered to trial Real Time Data’s (RTD) Deckhand Pro platform for the duration of the 2021 snow crab season. The captains provided RTD with feedback on the feasibility and willingness to incorporate electronic logbooks into their daily operations.
For years, crab and groundfish harvesters have filled out the National Marine Fisheries Service Daily Fishing Logbook (DFL), which requires skippers to input all data by hand, including the latitude and longitude positions of each string of gear, gear identification information and data on bycatch and target species. To many skippers this has proven an arduous task and, they told the RTD staff, sometimes unsafe recordkeeping process.
Jamie Goen, executive director for ABSC, said her organization is looking forward to working with RTD to further develop a tool that’s useful and easy for their skippers to use for their own data needs, and is responsive to federal and state reporting requirements.
For the trial run, a basic version of Deckhand was used to replicate the DFL and the company says that version of Deckhand can be customized further for the Bering Sea crab fishery. Fishermen engaged in the trial run were able to keep in touch with RTD 24/7 throughout the season via marine broadband, to offer input and advise on bugs or other issues with the electronic device.
One of the skippers, Mark Casto of the f/v Pinnacle, said that he is looking forward to working with RTD in the future to help make this electronic logbook a fixture in the crab fisheries.
Lange Solberg, business development manager for Real Time Data North America, said that from a proof-of-concept standpoint his firm was pleased with the trial. Using Deckhand Pro in a test scenario was totally an extra thing for the participants to take on, on top of all their other responsibilities, but it is clear to us that this is where fishermen want to go, he said.
More information about RTD is available at https://deckhandlogbook.com.
The effort involved those aboard four vessels who volunteered to trial Real Time Data’s (RTD) Deckhand Pro platform for the duration of the 2021 snow crab season. The captains provided RTD with feedback on the feasibility and willingness to incorporate electronic logbooks into their daily operations.
For years, crab and groundfish harvesters have filled out the National Marine Fisheries Service Daily Fishing Logbook (DFL), which requires skippers to input all data by hand, including the latitude and longitude positions of each string of gear, gear identification information and data on bycatch and target species. To many skippers this has proven an arduous task and, they told the RTD staff, sometimes unsafe recordkeeping process.
Jamie Goen, executive director for ABSC, said her organization is looking forward to working with RTD to further develop a tool that’s useful and easy for their skippers to use for their own data needs, and is responsive to federal and state reporting requirements.
For the trial run, a basic version of Deckhand was used to replicate the DFL and the company says that version of Deckhand can be customized further for the Bering Sea crab fishery. Fishermen engaged in the trial run were able to keep in touch with RTD 24/7 throughout the season via marine broadband, to offer input and advise on bugs or other issues with the electronic device.
One of the skippers, Mark Casto of the f/v Pinnacle, said that he is looking forward to working with RTD in the future to help make this electronic logbook a fixture in the crab fisheries.
Lange Solberg, business development manager for Real Time Data North America, said that from a proof-of-concept standpoint his firm was pleased with the trial. Using Deckhand Pro in a test scenario was totally an extra thing for the participants to take on, on top of all their other responsibilities, but it is clear to us that this is where fishermen want to go, he said.
More information about RTD is available at https://deckhandlogbook.com.
From the Editor
By Mark Nero, Managing Editor
A new beginning…and a continuation. That’s what this issue of Fishermen’s News represents.
First, it’s a new beginning because the magazine has changed ownership. As you may know, Philips Publishing has sold the magazine to San Diego-based Maritime Publishing. Maritime Publishing is a division of Training Resources Limited, the largest privately held provider of maritime training in the Western United States.
The magazine’s new publisher is Dave Abrams, the CEO of Training Resources Maritime Institute. He’s a former U.S. Navy Surface Warfare Officer and a certified instructor with the National Safe Boating Council, as well as an authorized instructor for the USCG Auxiliary Boating Skills & Seamanship program. So why would Dave enter publishing? His interest arose out of a desire to help mariners stay educated and informed, not just through historical practices associated with training, but through current industry news and events. For him, it’s all about the mariner, and the overall maritime community. Dave is a connector, and helping people connect with each other through the various training and media platforms is the ultimate goal.
Helping guide the path is yours truly, Mark Nero, Fishermen’s News’ new managing editor. To longtime readers of FN, my name may be familiar; prior to the publication going on hiatus in 2020, I occasionally wrote for eFN, and have more than 25 years’ experience as a professional journalist and have worked mostly for various publications that cover the goods transport industry.
By the way, in mid-March, Maritime Publishing acquired Professional Mariner and Ocean Navigator magazines from Portland, Maine based Navigator Publishing, bringing additional maritime-focused publications into the family.
Professional Mariner is a news magazine with a 30-year history of focusing on the needs of USCG-licensed professional mariners.
Ocean Navigator, founded in 1985, focuses on seamanship for self-reliant recreational mariners. I’m also very pleased to say that many of bylines that you previously saw in Fishermen’s News are joining us in this new journey. You’ll regularly read the work of Alaska Bureau Chief Margaret Bauman in the magazine; and longtime maritime reporter Peter Marsh is also returning.
In addition, John Platt & Irene Marie Hurwitz’s beloved “California Waypoints” column has been revived; and you’ll also see opinion pieces in these pages by the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations.
Although some of the names associated with the magazine have changed, our commitment to providing you with quality, substantive news remains the same. We’re personally and professionally invested in the industry and cover it while living in and around the communities that we report on.
This issue of FN covers the months of April and May, and the next issue will have a June-July cover date. After that we’ll return to a monthly schedule the rest of the year – with the exception of a combined November-December issue.
If you happen to read this and aren’t a current subscriber, please consider purchasing a one-year subscription for yourself or someone else who may be interested. Or, if you operate a business, please consider purchasing an ad. Subscribers and advertisers are essential partners to ensure that we keep Fishermen’s News a healthy and economically viable source of news about the West Coast commercial fishing industry. We’re dependent upon your ongoing support. Thank you.
MARK NERO is a veteran maritime journalist who has written for numerous publications over the years, including Fishermen’s News and Pacific Maritime Magazine. He was named managing editor of Fishermen’s News in March 2021.
Managing Editor Mark Nero can be reached at: mark@maritimepublishing.com
First, it’s a new beginning because the magazine has changed ownership. As you may know, Philips Publishing has sold the magazine to San Diego-based Maritime Publishing. Maritime Publishing is a division of Training Resources Limited, the largest privately held provider of maritime training in the Western United States.
The magazine’s new publisher is Dave Abrams, the CEO of Training Resources Maritime Institute. He’s a former U.S. Navy Surface Warfare Officer and a certified instructor with the National Safe Boating Council, as well as an authorized instructor for the USCG Auxiliary Boating Skills & Seamanship program. So why would Dave enter publishing? His interest arose out of a desire to help mariners stay educated and informed, not just through historical practices associated with training, but through current industry news and events. For him, it’s all about the mariner, and the overall maritime community. Dave is a connector, and helping people connect with each other through the various training and media platforms is the ultimate goal.
Helping guide the path is yours truly, Mark Nero, Fishermen’s News’ new managing editor. To longtime readers of FN, my name may be familiar; prior to the publication going on hiatus in 2020, I occasionally wrote for eFN, and have more than 25 years’ experience as a professional journalist and have worked mostly for various publications that cover the goods transport industry.
By the way, in mid-March, Maritime Publishing acquired Professional Mariner and Ocean Navigator magazines from Portland, Maine based Navigator Publishing, bringing additional maritime-focused publications into the family.
Professional Mariner is a news magazine with a 30-year history of focusing on the needs of USCG-licensed professional mariners.
Ocean Navigator, founded in 1985, focuses on seamanship for self-reliant recreational mariners. I’m also very pleased to say that many of bylines that you previously saw in Fishermen’s News are joining us in this new journey. You’ll regularly read the work of Alaska Bureau Chief Margaret Bauman in the magazine; and longtime maritime reporter Peter Marsh is also returning.
In addition, John Platt & Irene Marie Hurwitz’s beloved “California Waypoints” column has been revived; and you’ll also see opinion pieces in these pages by the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations.
Although some of the names associated with the magazine have changed, our commitment to providing you with quality, substantive news remains the same. We’re personally and professionally invested in the industry and cover it while living in and around the communities that we report on.
This issue of FN covers the months of April and May, and the next issue will have a June-July cover date. After that we’ll return to a monthly schedule the rest of the year – with the exception of a combined November-December issue.
If you happen to read this and aren’t a current subscriber, please consider purchasing a one-year subscription for yourself or someone else who may be interested. Or, if you operate a business, please consider purchasing an ad. Subscribers and advertisers are essential partners to ensure that we keep Fishermen’s News a healthy and economically viable source of news about the West Coast commercial fishing industry. We’re dependent upon your ongoing support. Thank you.
MARK NERO is a veteran maritime journalist who has written for numerous publications over the years, including Fishermen’s News and Pacific Maritime Magazine. He was named managing editor of Fishermen’s News in March 2021.
Managing Editor Mark Nero can be reached at: mark@maritimepublishing.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
FN Online Advertising
.gif)