Today's Main Story: Great Pacific Seafoods' Alaska Plants Closed
Major Alaskan salmon processor Great Pacific Seafoods will not operate this summer and has shut down all of its operations in Alaska. The Seattle-based seafood processor operated plants in Anchorage, Kenai and Whittier and had previously run buying operations in Kotzebue and Homer. It appears Great Pacific Seafoods could not obtain the capital necessary to start up this season because of last year's low salmon prices.
Provincial officials in P.E.I oppose a federal decision to progressively increase the lobster carapace size in LFA 25. Some say the change in the carapace size will have a direct impact on PEI fishermen who supply canner-sized lobsters and the processing plants that have invested money to develop and service that market.
In other news, NOAA will investigate how its researchers lost a $450,000 underwater camera during a survey expedition of the Atlantic scallop stock. The camera was lost this week when its tow cable got snagged on some known wreckage near Delaware Bay. Officials want to determine why the research vessel was conducting surveys so close to the area. The lost camera will delay the scallop stock survey, which provides critical information to set commercial quotas.
Meanwhile, the South Pacific Tuna Corporation and its US partner the Global Companies question the ISSF's decision to freeze construction of new tuna vessels. Hines said the decision, which was announced this week during the Tuna 2016 conference in Bangkok, is a complete reversal of the ISSF's position in 2012 that at the time called to increase the industry's capacity.
Finally, in some other tuna news, the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) adopted new harvest control methods to manage the Indian Ocean's skipjack tuna fishery. The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and IOTC member states commended the Commission for setting the guidelines. "We congratulate the IOTC and all involved in delivering this agreement, a critical breakthrough for sustainable management of Indian Ocean tuna fisheries,” said Rupert Howes, CEO of the MCS.
We will be closed on Monday, May 30 in observation of the Memorial Day holiday in the U.S. We will return to our normal publishing schedule on Tuesday, May 31. On behalf of John, Peggy, Linda, Susan and the rest of our staff, we wish all of our readers and their families a happy and safe Memorial Day weekend.
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