According to the latest Fisheries of the US Report issued by NOAA Fisheries earlier this month, Dutch Harbor retained its title, for the 22nd consecutive year, as the nation’s top fishing port by volume, with 763 million pounds landed in 2018.
The annual federal report ranks Alaska first, among all states, in volume with landings of 5.4 billion pounds. Louisiana, 1 billion pounds; Washington, 590 million pounds; Virginia, 362.5 million pounds; and Mississippi with 320.3 million pounds came next.
New Bedford, Mass., was the leading US port for value for the 19th year in a row.
Alaska also led the nation in value of landings with $1.8 billion, followed by Massachusetts, $647.2 million; Maine, $587.4 million; Louisiana, $377.1 million; and Washington, $346.4 million.
Top species for overall value were in order Alaska Pollock, $1.98 billion for 1.6 billion pounds; shrimp, $990 million/305 million pounds; sockeye salmon, $940 million/193 million pounds; tuna, $836 million/384 million pounds; and cod, $745 million/292 million pounds.
Total domestic commercial landings of salmon came in at 576 million pounds valued at $598.1 million, down 432.2 million pounds (43 percent) and $89.7 million (13 percent) compared with 2017. Alaska accounted for 97 percent of total landings; Washington, 3 percent; California, Oregon and the Great Lakes, less than 1 percent.
Sockeye salmon landings represented 265.3 million pounds, valued at $351.5 million, a decrease of 26.3 million pounds or 9 percent, but an increase in value of $27.8 million, or 9 percent, compared with 2017.
Alaska landings were 556.8 million pounds valued at $553.5 million – down 429.1 million pounds (44 percent) and $92.2 million (14 percent) compared with 2017.
Washington salmon landings reached 17 million pounds valued at $31 million – down 3.4 million pounds (17 percent) and $522,000 (2 percent) compared with 2017.
Oregon salmon landings reached 951,000 pounds valued at $5.7 million – down 227,000 pounds (19 percent) but showed an increase of 3 percent in value ($147,000) compared with 2017.
California saw 1 million pounds salmon landings valued at $7.6 million, an increase of 481,000 pounds (85 percent) and $2.8 million (59 percent) compared with 2017. Chinook salmon were the principal species landed in that state.
Commercial landings of sablefish represented 38.7 million pounds valued at $110.4 million, up by 958,000 pounds (3 percent) but short $33 million (23 percent) in value compared with 2017. Alaska landings were up to 27.2 million pounds, an increase of 6 percent. Landings decreased by 2 percent in Washington to 2.8 million pounds, with value reaching $6.6 million, down 26 percent. The 2018 Oregon catch saw 5.6 million pounds, up 1 percent, but value dropped to $11.8 million, down 24 percent. California landings of 3.2 million pounds and $6.4 million represented a drop of 17 percent in volume and 29 percent in value.
The annual update is described by Cisco Werner, chief scientist at NOAA Fisheries, as “a yearbook of fishery statistics on commercial landings and values, recreational fishing, aquaculture production, imports and exports and per capita consumption.”
Wednesday, February 26, 2020
2020 IPHC Setline Survey Will Cover 1,300 Stations
The International Pacific Halibut Commission’s (IPHC) 2020 fisheries-independent setline survey, will include a grid of 1,300 stations from Oregon to the northern Bering Sea, including the Aleutian Islands. The survey will run from May 23 through Aug. 31.
The setline survey is conducted using 10 to 14 fishing vessels to do the sampling of 28 charter regions within the PIHC convention area. All regions are open annually for single-year bids.
The survey, one of the largest in the world, costs approximately$5 million to $6 million, and is paid for by the sale of halibut caught to processors located where the charter vessels land, through a bidding system conducted by the IPHC, said Stephen Keith, assistant director of the IPHC.b
The survey is conducted to collect standardized data for the Pacific halibut stock assessment. This information is used for studies of the Pacific halibut resource such as growth, distribution, biomass, age composition, sexual maturity and relative abundance of other species.
“Generally, many of the same vessels do the survey for us every year,” said Keith. “The survey is designed to be revenue neutral. We are allowed by the treaty (Pacific Halibut Treaty) to sell fish to fund the research.”
“Over the next two to three years our assessment is that the stock will continue to go down,” Keith said. “That’s been consistent. It was at historical high levels around 2000, came down fairly steeply until 2010 and then has been stable, but has been decreasing more gradually since 2016,” he said.
Fishing populations go up and down independent of fishing pressure and the commission has responded appropriately by lowering the catch limits, he said. The IPHC has on file data that goes back 140 years, noting highs and lows in stocks. “One hundred years ago it was high,” Keith said. “Then when commercial fisheries started in 1888 they were fishing it very hard and it was coming down, so the United States and Canada got together and formed the IPHC.”
At this year’s annual meeting in Anchorage some people thought the catch limits set went too high, even though they took a cut from last year to this year, but the place they ended up was an acceptable range for limits to the stock, Keith said. “We have a management strategy evaluation going on, involving scientists and stakeholders, to test how stocks might result from certain strategies. They figure out a range of fishing pressures that is acceptable and right now the catch limits agreed on are within that range,” he said.
Still Keith acknowledged that with cuts from the 2019 fishery stocks are likely to go down in 2020.
“The point where the commission ended up is okay,” he said. “It’s within a range of tolerable choices we could make. It is a well-managed fishery. We have put a lot of effort into making sure we maintain the stock for the future.”
The setline survey is conducted using 10 to 14 fishing vessels to do the sampling of 28 charter regions within the PIHC convention area. All regions are open annually for single-year bids.
The survey, one of the largest in the world, costs approximately$5 million to $6 million, and is paid for by the sale of halibut caught to processors located where the charter vessels land, through a bidding system conducted by the IPHC, said Stephen Keith, assistant director of the IPHC.b
The survey is conducted to collect standardized data for the Pacific halibut stock assessment. This information is used for studies of the Pacific halibut resource such as growth, distribution, biomass, age composition, sexual maturity and relative abundance of other species.
“Generally, many of the same vessels do the survey for us every year,” said Keith. “The survey is designed to be revenue neutral. We are allowed by the treaty (Pacific Halibut Treaty) to sell fish to fund the research.”
“Over the next two to three years our assessment is that the stock will continue to go down,” Keith said. “That’s been consistent. It was at historical high levels around 2000, came down fairly steeply until 2010 and then has been stable, but has been decreasing more gradually since 2016,” he said.
Fishing populations go up and down independent of fishing pressure and the commission has responded appropriately by lowering the catch limits, he said. The IPHC has on file data that goes back 140 years, noting highs and lows in stocks. “One hundred years ago it was high,” Keith said. “Then when commercial fisheries started in 1888 they were fishing it very hard and it was coming down, so the United States and Canada got together and formed the IPHC.”
At this year’s annual meeting in Anchorage some people thought the catch limits set went too high, even though they took a cut from last year to this year, but the place they ended up was an acceptable range for limits to the stock, Keith said. “We have a management strategy evaluation going on, involving scientists and stakeholders, to test how stocks might result from certain strategies. They figure out a range of fishing pressures that is acceptable and right now the catch limits agreed on are within that range,” he said.
Still Keith acknowledged that with cuts from the 2019 fishery stocks are likely to go down in 2020.
“The point where the commission ended up is okay,” he said. “It’s within a range of tolerable choices we could make. It is a well-managed fishery. We have put a lot of effort into making sure we maintain the stock for the future.”
Norton Sound Winter Crabbers Challenged to Find Buyers
Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) managers at Nome have decided to go ahead with the Norton Sound winter commercial red king crab fishery, but harvesters will have to find their own markets before the fishery opens on Saturday, Feb. 29.
The usual major buyer, Norton Sound Economic Development Corp. (NSEDC), announced earlier this month that it would not purchase crab from that fishery, because of conservation concerns.
Still the North Pacific Fishery Management Council had set the preliminary harvest rate of legal male biomass of 2.43 million pounds, to allow for a total commercial guidelines harvest level of 170,100, so harvesters were told that if they registered for catcher-seller or other direct marketing permits they could fish.
Crab pots in the winter commercial crab fishery must be set through the ice. ADF&G advised that while the cold weather this year has resulted in thicker ice than usual, caution is always advised. Good luck, good crabbing and be safe out there,” they told the crabbers.
The unusual challenge of harvesters being required to find their own buyers came after the board of NSEDC advised ADF&G in early February that it would not be purchasing the crab from the fishery and urged the state agency to close the fishery for 2020 to preserve crab stocks.
The NSEDC board decision came after Charlie Lean, of the Northern Norton Sound ADF&G advisory committee told the board that a decline in reproduction of Norton Sound red king crab stocks is anticipated. NSEDC is one of several community development quota entities established under a state of Alaska program to boost the economies of coastal communities by giving them allocations of a percentage of annual allowable catch of groundfish and shellfish.
The NSEDC board was concerned when Lean said that trawl surveys can’t find male crab and that commercial and subsistence crabbers can’t find male crab either.
NSEDC noted that last year harvesters caught 82,335 pounds of crab in the combined winter and summer commercial fisheries compared with an average harvest of more than 460,000 pounds the five previous years. Some harvesters last year reported fishing in a 100-mile area and not finding any crab or breaking even financially for the season.
The usual major buyer, Norton Sound Economic Development Corp. (NSEDC), announced earlier this month that it would not purchase crab from that fishery, because of conservation concerns.
Still the North Pacific Fishery Management Council had set the preliminary harvest rate of legal male biomass of 2.43 million pounds, to allow for a total commercial guidelines harvest level of 170,100, so harvesters were told that if they registered for catcher-seller or other direct marketing permits they could fish.
Crab pots in the winter commercial crab fishery must be set through the ice. ADF&G advised that while the cold weather this year has resulted in thicker ice than usual, caution is always advised. Good luck, good crabbing and be safe out there,” they told the crabbers.
The unusual challenge of harvesters being required to find their own buyers came after the board of NSEDC advised ADF&G in early February that it would not be purchasing the crab from the fishery and urged the state agency to close the fishery for 2020 to preserve crab stocks.
The NSEDC board decision came after Charlie Lean, of the Northern Norton Sound ADF&G advisory committee told the board that a decline in reproduction of Norton Sound red king crab stocks is anticipated. NSEDC is one of several community development quota entities established under a state of Alaska program to boost the economies of coastal communities by giving them allocations of a percentage of annual allowable catch of groundfish and shellfish.
The NSEDC board was concerned when Lean said that trawl surveys can’t find male crab and that commercial and subsistence crabbers can’t find male crab either.
NSEDC noted that last year harvesters caught 82,335 pounds of crab in the combined winter and summer commercial fisheries compared with an average harvest of more than 460,000 pounds the five previous years. Some harvesters last year reported fishing in a 100-mile area and not finding any crab or breaking even financially for the season.
Wednesday, February 19, 2020
NPAFC Has Big Plans for 2021
In the wake of its groundbreaking 2019 winter expedition in the Gulf of Alaska, the North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission (NPAFC) is now planning a 2021 Pan-Pacific High Seas Expedition.
NPAFC – along with the North Pacific Fish Commission and the North Pacific Marine Science Organization – held a two-day workshop in Victoria, B.C. in late October. The event brought together fish specialists, oceanographers, climatologists, and resource managers from around the Pacific Rim to explore findings from the winter outing. NPAFC President Suam Kim, writing in the latest issue of the NPAFC Newsletter, said workshop participants then recommended the core elements for the next expedition.
The goal of the 2021 exploration is to provide a platform for international collaborative ecosystem research to monitor the distribution, abundance and productivity of salmon. To that end, the commission’s North Pacific Steering Committee and the International Year of the Salmon Working Group will meet Feb. 25-28 in Vancouver, B.C. to plan for the multi-vessel Pan-Pacific expedition.
Kim also noted that the signing last spring of a Memorandum of Cooperation between NPAFC and the North Pacific Fish Commission will strengthen the long-term relationship between the two intergovernmental organizations. The memorandum calls for a five-year work plan, through 2025, that focuses on collaborative research and implementation of conservation and management measures relating to stocks and species of mutual interest in the North Pacific Ocean.
“Development of a common understanding of threats and knowledge gaps is an essential element for the management of salmon in the high seas,” said Kim.
NPAFC will hold its annual meeting in Hakodate, Hokkaido, Japan and host its third NPAFC-IYS workshop on Linkages between Pacific Salmon Production and Environmental Changes on May 23-25. These gatherings, in partnership with several Japanese fisheries entities, will provide opportunity for scientists and researchers to present studies and findings on all five International Year of the Salmon research themes, he added. Read Kim’s comments and the complete newsletter by going to https://npafc.org/wp-content/uploads/Newsletters/NWSL47.pdf
NPAFC, with offices in Vancouver, B.C., is an international intergovernmental organization established by the Convention for the Conservation of Anadromous Stock in the North Pacific Ocean. The Convention was signed on Feb. 11, 1992 and took effect on Feb. 16, 1993. Member countries are Canada, Japan, Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation and United States of America.
NPAFC – along with the North Pacific Fish Commission and the North Pacific Marine Science Organization – held a two-day workshop in Victoria, B.C. in late October. The event brought together fish specialists, oceanographers, climatologists, and resource managers from around the Pacific Rim to explore findings from the winter outing. NPAFC President Suam Kim, writing in the latest issue of the NPAFC Newsletter, said workshop participants then recommended the core elements for the next expedition.
The goal of the 2021 exploration is to provide a platform for international collaborative ecosystem research to monitor the distribution, abundance and productivity of salmon. To that end, the commission’s North Pacific Steering Committee and the International Year of the Salmon Working Group will meet Feb. 25-28 in Vancouver, B.C. to plan for the multi-vessel Pan-Pacific expedition.
Kim also noted that the signing last spring of a Memorandum of Cooperation between NPAFC and the North Pacific Fish Commission will strengthen the long-term relationship between the two intergovernmental organizations. The memorandum calls for a five-year work plan, through 2025, that focuses on collaborative research and implementation of conservation and management measures relating to stocks and species of mutual interest in the North Pacific Ocean.
“Development of a common understanding of threats and knowledge gaps is an essential element for the management of salmon in the high seas,” said Kim.
NPAFC will hold its annual meeting in Hakodate, Hokkaido, Japan and host its third NPAFC-IYS workshop on Linkages between Pacific Salmon Production and Environmental Changes on May 23-25. These gatherings, in partnership with several Japanese fisheries entities, will provide opportunity for scientists and researchers to present studies and findings on all five International Year of the Salmon research themes, he added. Read Kim’s comments and the complete newsletter by going to https://npafc.org/wp-content/uploads/Newsletters/NWSL47.pdf
NPAFC, with offices in Vancouver, B.C., is an international intergovernmental organization established by the Convention for the Conservation of Anadromous Stock in the North Pacific Ocean. The Convention was signed on Feb. 11, 1992 and took effect on Feb. 16, 1993. Member countries are Canada, Japan, Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation and United States of America.
Alaska Board of Fisheries Action Hits Hard on Commercial Setnetters
A new escapement goal for late-run Chinook salmon into the Kenai River approved in mid-February by the Alaska Board of Fisheries has some commercial harvesters on Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula concerned that it will limit setnet opportunities.
On Feb. 14 the board approved in a 5-2 vote substitute language for proposal 104, which was submitted by the Kenai River Sportfishing Association (KRSA), to manage the late-run Kenai kings with an optimum escapement goal (OEG) of 15,000 to 30,000 large fish. The provision will be in effect from June 20 through Aug. 15. From 2013 to 2016 the escapement goal was the same, but it was based on late run Kenai kings of all sizes.
KRSA said in its proposal that current regulations did not provide adequate protection of escapement or equitably share the king salmon conservation burden. The commercial setnet fishery contends KRSA continues to catch a large percentage of the combined sport and commercial harvest share as king runs continue to languish at low levels.
Commercial setnetter Paul Shadura of the South KP Independent Fishermen’s Association, said he felt that the board’s action will limit commercial setnet opportunities in Cook Inlet and may even close them down for the summer.
“There appears to be a historical decline (of kings) and none of these stocks have been declared a stock of concern,” Shadura said. “They have taken these actions without declaring them a stock of concern. They are making allocative decisions based on opinion and less on the science involved,” he added. “There are no stocks of concern, yet we are putting in place management plans on allocation with very little information to support them.”
Shadura’s comments were echoed by other commercial fishermen who harvest on the Kenai Peninsula who declined to speak on the record. They also expressed concern that the current Alaska Board of Fisheries has no representatives from the Kenai Peninsula, no setnet fishermen and a predominance of board members from Anchorage and the Matanuska-Susitna Valley, with very little rural representation. As a result, they do not understand the baseline economies of these (Kenai Peninsula) communities and how their decisions affect the economy of these communities and the processing industry, Shadura explained.
“The board, when they make decisions, they don’t look at people like me, whose families have been here 100 years,” Shadura said. “What is needed is for the Legislature to create a processional board with designated seats, and the commissioner has to be independent; otherwise we are managed by the ballot box instead of science”.
On Feb. 14 the board approved in a 5-2 vote substitute language for proposal 104, which was submitted by the Kenai River Sportfishing Association (KRSA), to manage the late-run Kenai kings with an optimum escapement goal (OEG) of 15,000 to 30,000 large fish. The provision will be in effect from June 20 through Aug. 15. From 2013 to 2016 the escapement goal was the same, but it was based on late run Kenai kings of all sizes.
KRSA said in its proposal that current regulations did not provide adequate protection of escapement or equitably share the king salmon conservation burden. The commercial setnet fishery contends KRSA continues to catch a large percentage of the combined sport and commercial harvest share as king runs continue to languish at low levels.
Commercial setnetter Paul Shadura of the South KP Independent Fishermen’s Association, said he felt that the board’s action will limit commercial setnet opportunities in Cook Inlet and may even close them down for the summer.
“There appears to be a historical decline (of kings) and none of these stocks have been declared a stock of concern,” Shadura said. “They have taken these actions without declaring them a stock of concern. They are making allocative decisions based on opinion and less on the science involved,” he added. “There are no stocks of concern, yet we are putting in place management plans on allocation with very little information to support them.”
Shadura’s comments were echoed by other commercial fishermen who harvest on the Kenai Peninsula who declined to speak on the record. They also expressed concern that the current Alaska Board of Fisheries has no representatives from the Kenai Peninsula, no setnet fishermen and a predominance of board members from Anchorage and the Matanuska-Susitna Valley, with very little rural representation. As a result, they do not understand the baseline economies of these (Kenai Peninsula) communities and how their decisions affect the economy of these communities and the processing industry, Shadura explained.
“The board, when they make decisions, they don’t look at people like me, whose families have been here 100 years,” Shadura said. “What is needed is for the Legislature to create a processional board with designated seats, and the commissioner has to be independent; otherwise we are managed by the ballot box instead of science”.
Seattle Restaurants Will Celebrate Wild Alaska Pollock
Alaska Pollock will be a featured menu item in some three dozen Seattle restaurants from Feb. 28 through March 8. This is part of the latest seafood industry promotion of this versatile, wild caught, low calorie, high protein whitefish. A single cooked four-ounce fillet provides 19 grams of protein and 70 milligrams of Omega-3.
The promotion organized by the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI), in concert with Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers (GAPP), comes during the season of Lent, which begins of Feb. 26 and runs through April 9, a period when those participating in the religious holiday may abstain from eating meat and eat more fish.
Seafood aficionados and foodies alike are invited to join the party and post photos on the social media website Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/events/485973822353905/
GAPP is also promoting its wild caught whitefish with new toolkits for its members and partners to motivate more people to purchase this fish to cook at home or while dining at restaurants. GAPP officials say their research shows that given more information – such as recipes, preparation tips, health benefits, and flavor and texture tips – more Americans become interested in purchasing the fish.
Over the coming weeks, GAPP plans to train members and partners on how to utilize these tool kits, to educate consumers on where and how wild Alaska Pollock is caught and how it eventually makes its way to their dinner plate, providing them with reasons to ask for it at supermarkets, seafood shops and restaurants.
“These tool kits are an important resource for the industry to have and use and are a key part of GAPP’s strategy to build a global brand of Wild Alaska Pollock,” said Craig Morris, chief executive officer of GAPP.
The promotion organized by the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI), in concert with Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers (GAPP), comes during the season of Lent, which begins of Feb. 26 and runs through April 9, a period when those participating in the religious holiday may abstain from eating meat and eat more fish.
Seafood aficionados and foodies alike are invited to join the party and post photos on the social media website Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/events/485973822353905/
GAPP is also promoting its wild caught whitefish with new toolkits for its members and partners to motivate more people to purchase this fish to cook at home or while dining at restaurants. GAPP officials say their research shows that given more information – such as recipes, preparation tips, health benefits, and flavor and texture tips – more Americans become interested in purchasing the fish.
Over the coming weeks, GAPP plans to train members and partners on how to utilize these tool kits, to educate consumers on where and how wild Alaska Pollock is caught and how it eventually makes its way to their dinner plate, providing them with reasons to ask for it at supermarkets, seafood shops and restaurants.
“These tool kits are an important resource for the industry to have and use and are a key part of GAPP’s strategy to build a global brand of Wild Alaska Pollock,” said Craig Morris, chief executive officer of GAPP.
Symphony of Seafood to Hold Alaska Legislative Reception on Feb. 24
The 2020 Alaska Symphony of Seafood will honor winners of its retail, food service and Beyond the Plate competitions during its annual legislative reception in Juneau, Alaska, on Feb. 24. The event is co-hosted by the Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation and United Fishermen of Alaska.
Previously announced first place winners include
• Retail division: Bullwhip Hot Sauce by Barnacle Foods
• Food service division: Alaska Wild Wings–Southern Style by High Liner Foods
• Beyond the Plate division: Alaskan Fin Fish Earrings by WILD by Nature
The Seattle People’s Choice winner, Wild Alaska Cod Fish & Chips by Alaska Leader Seafoods, was selected by guests at the Symphony’s Seattle gala. The Juneau People’s Choice award will be voted on during the Juneau event.
First place winners in each category will receive booth space at the Seafood Expo North America in Boston next March, with round trip airfare courtesy of Alaska Air Cargo. They will also get entry into the event’s new products contest, the Seafood Excellence Awards.
Major sponsors of this year’s events include: Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute, Bristol Bay Regional Development Association, Northwest Fisheries Association, Alaska Air Cargo, At-Sea Processors Association, Lineage Logistics, Marine Stewardship Council, Aleutian Pribilof Island Community Development Association, Bristol Bay Economic Development Corporation, Marel, Kwik’Pak Fisheries LLC, Trident Seafoods, Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers, UniSea and United Fishermen of Alaska.
Previously announced first place winners include
• Retail division: Bullwhip Hot Sauce by Barnacle Foods
• Food service division: Alaska Wild Wings–Southern Style by High Liner Foods
• Beyond the Plate division: Alaskan Fin Fish Earrings by WILD by Nature
The Seattle People’s Choice winner, Wild Alaska Cod Fish & Chips by Alaska Leader Seafoods, was selected by guests at the Symphony’s Seattle gala. The Juneau People’s Choice award will be voted on during the Juneau event.
First place winners in each category will receive booth space at the Seafood Expo North America in Boston next March, with round trip airfare courtesy of Alaska Air Cargo. They will also get entry into the event’s new products contest, the Seafood Excellence Awards.
Major sponsors of this year’s events include: Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute, Bristol Bay Regional Development Association, Northwest Fisheries Association, Alaska Air Cargo, At-Sea Processors Association, Lineage Logistics, Marine Stewardship Council, Aleutian Pribilof Island Community Development Association, Bristol Bay Economic Development Corporation, Marel, Kwik’Pak Fisheries LLC, Trident Seafoods, Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers, UniSea and United Fishermen of Alaska.
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