West Coast Salmon Seasons Set: No California Season, Limited Elsewhere

After a week of tense negotiations and discussion, salmon managers finally adopted a set of seasons for Washington, Oregon, and California, as of Tuesday, April 15. Now it’s up to the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS, or NOAA Fisheries) for approval.  

California commercial season is simple: It’s closed. For the third year in a row. Recreational salmon fishermen will get a chance at a fishery this year, though, the first since 2022. 

Oregon has limited opportunity, due to concerns of Klamath and Sacramento River stocks...

West Coast Salmon Season Alternatives Set; PFMC to Finalize in April 

It was a tough week for salmon fishermen and salmon managers as the Pacific Fishery Management Council crafted three alternatives for 2025 ocean salmon fisheries off Washington, Oregon, and California.  

The Salmon Technical Team, which includes state, federal and tribal fishery managers, had to deal with limited access to federal partners, corrupted data files, limited times to run models and more. But in the end, the Team, advisers and Council established three commercial and recreational alternatives for review. 

The Council will make a final decision...

NWAA Sues Washington DNR Over Commercial Net Pen Ban, Citing Flawed Rulemaking

The Northwest Aquaculture Alliance (NWAA) filed a lawsuit against Washington State’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for its ban of commercial finfish net pen aquaculture in state waters.

NWAA President, Jim Parsons, said DNR, led by its former Lands Commissioner, “Conducted a predetermined and inadequate rulemaking process that ignored the best-available science and ignored the intent of the State Legislature when it set forth a new law allowing for the production of native species in commercial net pens...

Washington Crab Season Opens as State Releases the Third Season Review Edition

The weather is cooperating and crabbers in northern Oregon and Washington have begun setting their gear for the anticipated Jan. 15 Dungeness season opener.

While most of Oregon opened in December and some parts of California opened earlier this month, northern California and the Washington/Oregon area around the Columbia River were both set to open Wednesday.

Dungeness crab supports Washington’s most valuable commercial fishery, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife said. The value of state landings for the ...

FDA Issues Another Shellfish Advisory Amid Widening Norovirus Outbreak

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released its fourth advisory in recent weeks, warning Oregon and Washington retailers, restaurants and consumers against selling or consuming certain shellfish due to norovirus concerns. 

The January 2 advisory focused on shellstock oysters harvested from 12/02/2024 to 12/17/2024 by Ruco’s Shellfish (WA-1995-SS) from a portion of Hammersley Inlet growing area in Washington State. The impacted oysters were distributed in Washington and Oregon and may have been sent to other states...

Kyokuyo's Ocean’s Kitchen Opens $25M Imitation Crab Meat Facility in Washington

Kyokuyo Co., a Japan-based firm, announced that its subsidiary, Ocean’s Kitchen Corporation, completed the construction of its $25 million imitation crab meat facility in Washington state.

The company linked the investment to the increasing popularity of imitation crab meat in the US, particularly in urban areas, as a key ingredient in salads and California rolls. Kyokuyo expects consumption to grow in local areas as well.

Ocean’s Kitchen, the Washington-based subsidiary, strategically built the facility in Washington because it is close to Alaksa, the primary production site.

NCLA Challenges Washington State's GPS Monitoring of Crab Fishermen in Court

The New Civil Liberties Alliance (NCLA) has filed a lawsuit against the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Electronic Monitoring Program. This program uses GPS tech to track the location and movements of every state-licensed boat fishing for Coastal Dungeness crab, regardless of whether it is actively fishing or not.

The NCLA said the program is sustained by making fishermen pay for the electronic monitoring systems they must install on their boats, or else they face criminal sanctions...

Washington Looks to Update Dungeness Crab Policy to Address Entanglements, Climate Change

As part of the three West Coast states’ efforts to further limit potential entanglements and more easily identify entangled whales, the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission is updating its policies related to crabbing.

The public is invited to review and submit comments on the draft Coastal Dungeness Crab policy through Oct. 15. 

Dungeness crabs support Washington’s most valuable commercial fishery, as well as popular recreational fisheries. The value of state landings for the 2023-24 coastal commercial Dungeness crab season was $66.8 million, according to ...

Washington Department of Commerce Awards Grants to Boost Salmon Recovery Planning

Four local governments and one tribe will receive funds totaling $1.2 million to support long-range planning for salmon recovery — thanks to grants funded through the state’s Climate Commitment Act and the U.S. Environmental Protection Act Puget Sound funds. The state Department of Commerce awards the grants.

The funding will help integrate salmon recovery work into local growth management and land use planning and development regulations, according to a statement from the Department.

Protecting and restoring habitat is a critical component of...

FDA Advisory Issued For Shellfish Harvested From Washington and Oregon

Last week Oregon health officials issued a warning to throw out mussels harvested along the state’s coast after at least 20 people got sick. Oregon’s Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) and Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) subsequently announced that they would be closing shellfish harvesting along the entire coast. And now, the FDA is issuing a warning to restaurants and retailers not to serve or sell certain shellfish from Oregon and Washington as they may be contaminated with toxins that cause...

Oregon Considers Following in Washington’s Footsteps with Aquaculture Legislation

The Oregon Legislature is considering a bill that would ban open water finfish aquaculture, a move some say is a preemptive strike based on Washington’s ban last year. 

House Bill 2965 sets requirements for raising fish as food for humans and creates a related fund for managing those efforts.  

The bill is sponsored by Rep. Mark Gamba, a Democrat from the Portland metropolitan area and co-sponsored by other Democrats. The first hearing on the bill was held on Wednesday this week, in the Committee on Agriculture, Land Use...

Last Areas in Washington Will Open for Dungeness Soon

As Dungeness crab seasons go, this one has seen progressive openings along the West Coast that has kept crab in the marketplace but also created a convoluted overlay of regulatory boundaries, especially in Washington.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife announced this week that the coastal Dungeness crab fishery will open from Klipsan Beach, Wash., to the US/Canada border, including Grays Harbor to state crabbers on February 11, 2025. Special Management Areas, ...

Washington Hits the Magic Number to Open Dungeness Fishery

At long last, the Dungeness crab off Long Beach in Washington tested full enough to open the fishery north of Cape Falcon.

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife announced Tuesday that Oregon's commercial Dungeness crab fishery will open Jan. 15 from Cape Falcon, on the northern Oregon Coast, to Klipsan Beach, Washington. A fourth round of preseason testing in Long Beach, Wash., shows crab quality at 24.3%, which is above the 23% necessary to open the season. In other words, it meets the optimal commercial harvest ...

Washington Crab Season Delayed Until at Least January 15; Oregon Going Strong

The news Monday was not exactly a lump of coal, but an early Christmas “gift” many fishermen suspected would be coming: An extended delay into January for the start of the Washington/Northern Oregon crab season.

In an announcement Monday, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife said its crab managers met with other fishery managers from Oregon and California earlier in the day to determine the best option for an opening. However, the third round of testing showed crab from Long Beach, Wash., was only ...

CA, WA Dungeness Crab Fisheries on Hold For Now

Following Oregon’s announcement of a delay in the state’s Dungeness crab season, both California and Washington said that a combination of factors will delay the seasons in those states, too.

Late last week, California Department of Fish and Wildlife Director Charlton H. Bonham announced the delay of the primary commercial crab season for Mendocino, Humboldt and Del Norte counties – Fishing Zones 1 and 2 in Northern California. The season would normally open on Dec. 1.

“Crab quality tests could not be conducted in ...

Alaska and Washington Get Federal Boost for Port Infrastructures From Saint Paul Island to Tacoma

Six coastal communities in Alaska and five in Washington state will receive nearly $150 million for improvements in critical port and maritime infrastructure. The grants are funded by both annual appropriations and the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). The IIJA provided $2.25 billion in funds available over five years to the Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP), which was created to improve the movement of goods through our nation's ports and supply chain and enhance port resiliency.

Alaska has more coastline than ...

Washington Senator Holds Discussion at Port of Ilwaco About Future of Commercial Fishing Dock 

U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) hosted a roundtable discussion at the Port of Ilwaco alongside local leaders and stakeholders focused on development projects within the region. 

Cantwell’s office explained that the roundtable also featured discussions on the federal investments to help rebuild the commercial fishing dock that was severely damaged in a fire earlier this year just before the Dungeness crab season kicked off.  

"In the infrastructure bill, we wrote into the Port Infrastructure Development Program…a huge increase...

Pacific Seafood Fined $222,000 By Washington Department of Ecology

Pacific Seafood’s Westport facility has been hit with a $222,000 penalty after “repeatedly sending polluted wastewater into Half Moon Bay in Westport.” According to the Washington Department of Ecology, the seafood company’s Westport facility has violated its water quality permits 58 times over the past two years.

“It’s unacceptable that this facility is continuing to pollute Half Moon Bay after repeated citations and technical assistance,” said Vince McGowan, Ecology’s water quality program manager. “The majority of similar companies in the industry are able to...

Tar Balls, Oiled Birds Wash Up on Oregon and Washington Beaches; Cleanup Underway

Visitors to southern Washington and northern Oregon beaches in mid-May reported seeing birds covered in oil and tarry substances along the shorelines — sights unfamiliar to beachgoers in the Pacific Northwest.

State agencies from both states — including the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, the Washington Department of Ecology, and the U.S. Coast Guard — established a Unified Command as cleanup efforts began last week. The area affected stretches from Long Beach, Wash., south to Yaquina Head, Ore., near Newport. So far, no source of...